The Photo Artist: Adrian Octavius Walker

What does home mean to you?

To me, home means a place of peace and self-awareness. You self-identify who you are at home/within your home. It’s your freedom space to be/do whatever you please. 

What word captures the essence of your home?

Expressive.

How does your home space inspire the work you do?

The openness of my space allows me to breathe, and the floor-to-ceiling windows give me the perspective of being outside the city without physically being outdoors. These things inspire me to advance preexisting ideas into realities. 

What part of your living space makes you feel most at home?

The living room. I love the color green a lot. Seeing the color green with my couch being the centerpiece centers me. It brings the other colors together and makes me feel at home and welcomed.

How does your home reflect your thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors?

The concrete ceilings take me back to my childhood elementary school gymnasium. The walls were exposed to concrete, and we often used them as a canvas to express ourselves. On my ceiling, I wrote right above where I lay my head at pieces of the oath of manifestation as a gentle reminder to look up and know it’s always in front of me. 

What at-home practices do you lean into to tend to your racial wellbeing?

I have so much black art, black books, and black artifacts surrounding my space I feel as if I'm protected by it all. I also play a lot of black records on my vinyl throughout the day; my most recent purchase is The Wiz.

Follow Adrian O. Walker's work here