Burden of Proof

Burden of Proof considers the extensive reach of the Windrush scandal through portraits of those affected by the actions of a hostile state. In these works Walker reflects on the stories of individuals touched by what the journalist Amelia Gentleman has described as “The Windrush Betrayal”. These portraits are of those betrayed by the same authority that had once extended a warmer welcome to Britain, families and wider communities who were ultimately left fearing for their futures outside the country they call home.

Having placed the burden of proof on individuals, the Home Office demanded to see evidence that would prove their right to stay in the UK. In the absence of passports, official papers or landing cards, personal records, medical notes, dockets, and receipts were among the documents used to verify UK residency and to build a case to remain. Across this series of large-scale drawings, Walker centres on the evidence that helped to prove the legitimacy of those the British government had wrongly labelled as ‘undocumented migrants’. From an invoice for legal services to a temporary certificate of discharge from the military, the work features hand-drawn facsimiles of original documents sourced from personal and public archives with portraits overlaid.

Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation, with the support of The Whitworth, University of Manchester. Courtesy of the artist and Sharjah Foundation.