A self-taught visual artist from Los Angeles, Allyson experiments with paint, collage, and sculpture in her bold, emotive artworks. She combines text with abstract images and vivid colors to honor the complexities of what it means to be a survivor. Since she began painting as a teenager, she has used her art to explore the heart’s endless capacity for regeneration and hope.
In addition to having spent 20 years developing her art practice, Allyson is also an educator and social worker committed to empowering students in their own learning, healing, and liberation. In her trauma-informed art classes, students explore personal narratives and experiences using mediums like painting, drawing, collaging, sculpture, ceramics, and creative writing to reclaim and express their unique voices.
At the core of Allyson’s practices is a belief that art is an act of resistance and reclamation. Creating art builds resilience and strengthens communities. Art is necessary to survive and heal from a society rooted in oppressive systems and trauma. In this world, art truly saves lives.