Kara Walker was born in Stockton, California on November 26, 1969. She studied at the Atlanta College of Art and the Rhode Island School of Design. She received a McArthur genius grant in her mid-20s. Her work, including her well-known cut-paper silhouettes, examines race, gender, history and sexuality through Southern and African-American folklore.

Kara Walker, Winter of Contentment
Photo courtesy of The New York Times