Allison Massari’s powerful, intimate, and boldly imagined artwork beckons the viewer - sometimes playfully, sometimes intensely- always with a poignancy that deeply touches the heart. The vulnerability and honesty expressed in her self portraits, the energy and life that flow through her collages, and the unflinching strength and intelligence that can be found in all of her work, show Massari’s commitment to exposing herself in order to find the common thread that connects us as humans.
Massari’s exuberance for creating is tireless and continuously evolving. Classically trained in the way of the masters, she received through her schooling the confidence to find her own artistic voice, one that speaks to the core of human issues - love, sorrow, triumph, & connection. As quoted from Valerie Ann Leeds, PhD., Adjunct Curator of American Art at the Flint Institute of Arts in Missouri and a former curator at both the Orlando Museum of Art and various exhibitions at the Tampa Museum of Art, "Allison Massari's expressive use of line and color in her emotionally-charged self-portraits surely was informed by (Fauvism and) the artistic aesthetic of Henri Matisse, along with the prominent masters of German Expressionism, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde, and Oscar Kokoschka." .
Primarily a painter, Massari uses “whatever is necessary” to bring her work to life - an interdisciplinary mixture of painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and collage. Largely known for her self-portraits and her portrayal of the female figure, Massari offers, “I’ve always been deeply interested in understanding people - and I’m fascinated with the human experience. The self-portrait is the most expeditious pathway for me to reach a vulnerability and an honesty to express myself spiritually, and to connect to universal emotions of the human condition.”
After receiving her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, Massari went on to receive an integrated masters degree by combining MFA programs from Parsons School of Design in painting, and the School of Visual Arts in illustration in New York City. Throughout the country, museum exhibitions and private art collectors have embraced Massari’s work. Her art has earned prestigious honors including awards and exhibits in the Tampa Museum of Art, St. Petersburg’s Museum of Fine Arts, and the National Arts Club Gallery of New York City. She has received two Artist-in-Residence Awards from Anderson Ranch Art Center, and was also named Helena Rubenstein Scholar. Commissioned paintings from numerous corporations include Lockheed Martin, US Airways, AAA Motor Club & General Mills.
In 1998, Massari nearly lost her life in a fiery car accident, which has greatly influenced her life and her work. She views the accident as a tremendous gift, allowing her to find her strength, take charge of her beliefs, and live life by her own rules. She arose from the experience - literally a phoenix from the flames.
The same year of her accident, Massari founded an art camp for young teen burn survivors, "The Roger Pepper Adventure Camps" in Crested Butte, CO. Roger Pepper was the brave man who pulled Massari from her car, saving her life and risking his own.
Currently, Massari lives in Tiburon CA, where she is consistently creating artwork and living life with excitement, ferocity, and vigor. Her artwork and her life are a testimony to the opportunities that life gives us, if we are open to receive its gifts.
