Kara Walker (1969- ) is an American artist who explores gender, sexuality, violence, and history through silhouetted figures. She uses drawing, painting, text, shadow puppetry, film, and sculpture to examine the ongoing trauma of enslaved Africans.  Walker received her BFA in Painting/Printmaking at the Atlanta College of Art in 1991 and her MFA in Painting/Printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1994.