Sam Walker was raised in the greenbelt of Ōtautahi/ Christchurch and is based there. Her artistic sentiments are a mix of a semi-rural upbringing and formative years navigating a fractured city centre. Through painting techniques that hover on perceptual thresholds, Walker creates eerie, liminal impressions that linger between recognition and uncertainty. Her subject matter may shift, but an enduring interest in internality persists, be it dream, memory or perception of the changing present.
She holds a BFA (First Class Honours, Painting) and an MFA (Distinction, Painting) from The University of Canterbury. Walker has exhibited in both solo and group shows, including a collaboration with Chloe Summerhayes in the exhibition, The Same Coin, at Ashburton Art Gallery. She was the recipient of the Harry van der Lecq Scholarship in 2019 (Ilam School of Fine Arts).