Artist Statement/ Biography

Allyson Glenn specializes in painting and drawing. In her series Passages, folklore busts of mythological gods juxtapose abstraction, contemporary architecture, gardens, and people – all part of her investigation of otherworldly presences and the continuity of Greek myths. Using ‘myth’ as a tool to disseminate topics surrounding land, people, and sustainability, her work explores the complex intertwining between ancient stories, archetypes and current events. Allyson’s new series Eclipse (2021-2023, in progress) continues this investigation centering on themes of hubris, humility, and hypocrisy. This series probes the junction between the actions of humans and their gods; evoking discussion around the shadow aspects of unseen forces on the human psyche. Since 2020, she has developed four large-scale paintings, a series of watercolor paintings, and two short animation films.

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Allyson Glenn is a visual artist based in Saskatoon. Allyson holds an MFA from the University of Calgary (2000) and a BFA from University of Alberta (1998). She has received grants from Canada Council for the Arts, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, BC Arts Council, and SK Arts. She is the recipient of a President’s SSHRC from University of Saskatchewan and three Elizabeth Foundation Awards. Her artwork is part of private and public collections including the University of Calgary and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Her artwork has shown throughout Canada, as well as The United States, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Italy, India, and China. Allyson is an Associate Professor for the Department of Art and Art History, at the University of Saskatchewan.