Alison Elizabeth Baker

Alison Elizabeth Baker, born on 17th April 1956 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, has spent a lifetime immersed in art and nature. Surrounded by artists from a young age, she explored European galleries and the cave paintings of the Matopos, developing an early passion for painting, drawing, and horseback riding. Her foundational training in life drawing began under Alec Lambeth at the Bulawayo School of Art, providing invaluable early experience.

Although her father forbade her from attending art school, Alison pursued academic studies, earning a degree in History and History of Art from the University of Cape Town and later completing postgraduate qualifications in the UK. Her professional career has been diverse, spanning roles with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority, teaching art at the secondary school level, and serving as an Exhibitions Designer at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.

Currently based in Victoria Falls, Alison combines her work as an artist with her role as a game ranger, where she leads her own anti-poaching unit. This direct connection to wildlife informs her art, which often explores themes of environmental destruction, human responsibility, and the resilience of nature. Her use of site-specific materials—mud, sand, shell, and bone—creates a visceral connection to the landscapes she seeks to protect, while her work grapples with the cycles of decay, reconstruction, and survival of the planet.

Alison has participated in numerous exhibitions, including group shows at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe and the National Gallery of Bulawayo. Her recent solo exhibition A Book That Cannot be Read (2022-2023) at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, curated by Fadzai Muchena, won the NAMA Arts Award for Exhibition of the Year in 2023. Her artistic legacy reflects both a deep commitment to environmental advocacy and an exploration of the intersection between history, art, and nature.