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Fluctuation and Emergence.
So, For a long time now my work has been very figurative and story-based. I was telling stories directly. Personal stories, rooted in my lived experience, memories and trauma. At the time it felt necessary, and it felt honest and in some ways it was really cathartic But recently I began to look at my practice and I started to feel that the clarity of the narrative was also kinda limiting me. The story itself was doing way too much of the work and in some instances the imag
Karl
6 days ago3 min read


The Triptych
This triptych is my testament to transformation and self-reinvention. Each of the three panels functions like a blueprint of imagination: they echo the style of architectural drawings, yet they’re infused with the spirit of childhood. In creating them, I became the architect not just of structures but of a new narrative that turns once-abandoned toys into a chosen family of characters. The central panel, the heart of the triptych, began as a reflection on what we leave behind
Karl
Dec 5, 20251 min read


Karl
Dec 5, 20250 min read


My Lung Tried To Do A Runner (Typical)
So picture this: I’ve had an absolute stinker of a session — the sort where you think, “Right, that’s me done, send the bin lorry, tip me in.” Next thing I know, I’m in hospital. Not for a cheeky overnight, not for a “let’s stick you on a drip and see how you feel in the morning.” No. I’m there for about a month. When I finally come round enough to be parked on a normal ward with the other plebs, in wanders this doctor. Fresh shirt, hair all neat, looking like someone who’s n
Karl
Nov 25, 20252 min read


New show coming up at the Brighton AOH 2025
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/25628529.brightons-stow-rift-gallery-opens-karl-allen-show/ Stow & Rift Gallery in Brighton will launch on Saturday, November 29, with a show by artist Karl Allen. The opening coincides with the Winter Artists Open Houses programme in Brighton and Hove. Mr Allen said: "My vision for the gallery is to bring monthly shows by artists from around the UK who will curate a more immersive gallery experience." Located in a Grade II-listed house in the
Karl
Nov 25, 20251 min read


Karl
Nov 1, 20250 min read


Karl
Oct 13, 20250 min read


Midnight Jolly
"Midnight Jolly" is a haunting and thought-provoking painting that captures an abandoned boat, once used to ferry immigrants across the...
Karl
Oct 13, 20251 min read


Karl
Oct 5, 20250 min read


Karl
Sep 26, 20250 min read


Karl
Sep 23, 20250 min read


Karl
Sep 21, 20250 min read


This Year
“I’m an artist from Croydon with a long history of making marks in unexpected places. From childhood, when chalk and mischief went hand...
Karl
Sep 20, 20252 min read


Karl
Sep 20, 20250 min read


Every Little Cuonts (park life)
812mm x 1016mm Acrylic and soft pastel on mountboard This really is Park life, just like I remember it in Croydon. Classic Ashburton park...
Karl
Sep 20, 20251 min read


Hanging in the National Portrait Gallery
20 odd years ago, I photographed the Roma artist by the name of Daniel Baker — a portrait that captured him and his uncompromising...
Karl
Sep 16, 20251 min read


Suffocate the Bourgeois: 2025
My new body of work confronts the paradox of being both outside and inside a system I criticise. “Suffocate the Bourgeois” is not a...
Karl
Sep 8, 20251 min read


Portrait of Kunst: (2020)
Portrait of Kunst: (2020) This is the original Suffocate the Bourgeois portrait I painted in 2020. It’s large—about six feet tall—and it...
Karl
Sep 6, 20252 min read


A long way from Croydon
A 2020 Milestone: Miami Abstraction On 6 October 2020 , I finished this six‑foot canvas while living in Miami. It marked a pivotal moment...
Karl
Sep 6, 20252 min read


Revisiting the Playground: Finding Joy in a Chaotic Triptych”?
This morning, I finally got my triptych up on the wall as I prep for the big show. Originally, these pieces just felt like a play of...
Karl
Sep 3, 20251 min read
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