Inspired by her own transformative experiences during the pandemic, her newest series of work presents dream-like scenes of otherworldly runaways that embark on an adventure through an ambiguous natural realm.
Christina Allan (b. 1995, Toronto) is fueled by the individual and collective anxieties that surround the human condition and psyche, one's self, and one's relation to the world. Known for her highly expressive and vibrant paintings, Allan’s work expresses profound aspects of the human experience, including the classic existential struggle. From dramatic mythical scenes to introspective psychological portraits, her work populates a world of fantastical creatures within dream-like natural landscapes. Similar to how ancient mythological deities served as answers to the mysteries of a meaningless world and universe, Allan’s paintings present an in-between space and state – an escape from an absurd quotidian existence. She believes her subconscious guides her making and views her work as a vital outlet for confronting deep-rooted ideas surrounding her existence. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from Parsons the New School for Design in 2017 and was awarded the institution’s Dean’s BFA Scholarship. Her paintings can be found in private collections throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. She lives and works in Toronto, Canada.
Her fantastical paintings are informed by philosophical ideas, including existentialist writings, and the mythology of ancient civilizations. Inspired by her own transformative experiences during the pandemic, her newest series of work presents dream-like scenes of otherworldly runaways that embark on an adventure through an ambiguous natural realm. She displays a humanistic portrayal of skeletal, reaper-like figures, which are recurring central characters in the artist's work, blended with iconography of human and material culture. Each piece is an energetic blend of bold and hazy spray-painted and airbrushed forms in carefully constructed compositions that seek to challenge traditional societal roles of being in pursuit of an authentic existence. Skeletal figures fleeing to new destinations and freedoms urge the viewer to celebrate the act of leaving, whether from a career, relationship, or lifestyle, through powerful scenes of liberation.