Peri Allen

Born and raised in New York I was introduced to the arts at an early age. Inspired by the lavish costumes and set designs on Broadway and the energy and cultural diversity of the city. I began my love affair with color and textiles at an early age.

My passion grew with access to museums and fabric houses. I amassed a collection ranging from American bark cloth, Panamanian molas, African mud cloth, Mexican embroideries, Guatemalan tapestries from around the world and began creating three-dimensional quilts and wall hangings embellished with bits of ephemera and folk art. The process intrigued me, as did the unity that resulted from the juxtaposition of so many unrelated components and ethnicities.

Fine Art Made Fun sums up my philosophy. I like to be surrounded by color and things that make me smile. My work is quirky, playful, and a little raw and comes from a spirit that won’t be quenched. Collage and mixed media allow me to explore detail with unstructured application of anything I desire. Images, shapes and patterns layer with color and paint form the core of my art. At some point my work begins creating itself and the result is usually far from where it started. Girls appear bedecked with floral finery. Whimsical composites from a myriad of sources come alive on the page. Each with a story to tell–expressions of my own journey through life. Sometimes humorous sometimes poignant, but always sophisticated, funky, fun, and always full of emotion.
peri_signature2
Peri Allen

Born and raised in New York I was introduced to the arts at an early age. Inspired by the lavish costumes and set designs on Broadway and the energy and cultural diversity of the city. I began my love affair with color and textiles at an early age.

My passion grew with access to museums and fabric houses. I amassed a collection ranging from American bark cloth, Panamanian molas, African mud cloth, Mexican embroideries, Guatemalan tapestries from around the world and began creating three-dimensional quilts and wall hangings embellished with bits of ephemera and folk art. The process intrigued me, as did the unity that resulted from the juxtaposition of so many unrelated components and ethnicities.

Fine Art Made Fun sums up my philosophy. I like to be surrounded by color and things that make me smile. My work is quirky, playful, and a little raw and comes from a spirit that won’t be quenched. Collage and mixed media allow me to explore detail with unstructured application of anything I desire. Images, shapes and patterns layer with color and paint form the core of my art. At some point my work begins creating itself and the result is usually far from where it started. Girls appear bedecked with floral finery. Whimsical composites from a myriad of sources come alive on the page. Each with a story to tell–expressions of my own journey through life. Sometimes humorous sometimes poignant, but always sophisticated, funky, fun, and always full of emotion.
peri_signature2