Taryn Walker is an award-winning queer, interdisciplinary mixed-Indigenous artist of Nlaka'pamux, Syilx, and European ancestry currently based in the unceded territories of the xwmÉ™θkwÉ™yÌ“É™m, Skwxwú7mesh, and SÉ™lÌ“ílwÉ™taɬ Nations. Their work explores themes of futurity, spiraling time, utopia, tenderness, playfulness, healing, and cycles of life and death through drawing, printmaking, installation, video, and sound. In 2018, Walker graduated from the University of Victoria's BFA program with a Major in Visual Arts and a Minor in Art History & Visual Studies. In December 2024, Walker completed their MFA at Simon Fraser University in Interdisciplinary Contemporary Arts. Walker’s work has been presented in spaces, residencies, and events across Canada, the United States, and beyond. Notable recent achievements include receiving the SSHRC award (2023), a printmaking research residency at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, which included mentorship with Koichi Yamamoto (2024), and teaching the course Methods & Concepts: Printmaking at SFU during the Fall term (2024).
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Taryn Walker is experienced in teaching a wide range of relief-based printmaking techniques, working comfortably with beginners, building foundational skills, and advanced artists seeking conceptual guidance. Their expertise includes linocut, monotype processes, and experimental methods such as Tetra Pak intaglio and laser-etched woodblock printing, which they explored extensively during their MFA research. In both classroom and workshop settings, they emphasize technical mastery alongside conceptual innovation, encouraging students to use printmaking as a medium for storytelling, experimentation, and critical inquiry. Whether introducing students to the basics of carving and inking or mentoring them through complex, interdisciplinary projects, they foster a supportive and inclusive environment where students feel empowered to expand their creative vocabulary and push the boundaries of their practice.
Photo credit: Dayna Szyndrowski.
