°°°·.°·..·°¯°·._.· 𝒜𝐵𝒪𝒰𝒯 𝒜𝐿𝐿𝐼𝒮𝒪𝒩 ·._.·°¯°·.·° .·°°°

Allison Ward (b. 1993) is an interdisciplinary artist and classically trained vocalist from the Southern United States whose work encompasses curation, conceptual sculpture making, music composition, video work, and performance. She is a 2027 MFA candidate at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), studying and working in their Art + Technology / Sound Practices graduate program, and is currently based in Chicago.

Her work is driven by a fascination with multi-sensory experience. Crafting installations and performances that engage sight, sound, and touch. Her installations, performances, and sound sculptures have been shown at institutions including The Chicago Cultural Center, The Philbrook Museum of Art, and The Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and her work has appeared on the cover of Art Focus Magazine. She has toured her experimental compositions across the United States and performed internationally. Allison is also a 2025 and 2026 recipient of the Mitchell Foundation Sound Grant, 2026 recipient of the Graduate Dean Professional Development Award through SAIC, and received a 2025-2027 Visionary Scholar Award through SAIC.

At the center of her practice is a deep engagement with emotion and its origins, generational trauma, religious trauma, the subjugation of women within religion and society, and mental diagnosis. She has witnessed firsthand the transformative impact her work can have on someone's perception of themselves and their own experience, and that exchange is central to why she art. Her work offers a visceral point of connection and space for others to find themselves inside it. Razorcake Magazine has described her work as "dreamy, harsh, and cutting."

In addition to her artistic practice, Ward has curated numerous exhibitions featuring queer and female artists, and has spent years building infrastructure in her home state for regional artists outside of major art centers. She brings that same commitment to access and community into everything she does.

l̸̜͇̖͎̤͇̃̇ͅl̷̫̘͓̝̝̞̳̇̀͑͒̈̀͆͜͜͜͠i̸̬̟̺̥͒͑̑͛͌̈́̂̇͘ͅs̶͈͎͇̼͔̯͕̻̗̋̎̎̊̍̌̄̍̚ṓ̸̲̳͝ņ̷̥̮̲̪̻̬̗̂̎͛ ̶̼̤̝͇̜̓̽̌͐̈́͋͜W̴̢̹͎̺̳͕͙̘̜͍͒̊͑͐͒̇̿̈̽͝à̶͓͖͓͕͓̊̓̏̆̚r̷̢̞̪̙͇̠͈̲͎͗̐͛̆̄̎̃͘͜͝ḏ̶̙̙͛̐̉̅̄͑̓͘̕-̵̗͍̌̔ ̵̧̧̛͓̭͖͈̖̥̯̺̀̅̀͐́̂̕į̸͍̖͚̺̻͙̓̋̒s̵͎͕͍̳̰̎̒͂ͅ ̴̠̳͓̐ą̴̡̹͇̖̱̖̦͈̾̇͑͛͆ ̵͓̹̑̈́͆̍̋͆̈́̿͝ͅͅm̵̨̧͉̘͈̦̤̝̞͎̌̊̂̅ŭ̸̹̲̹̎̽l̴̘̞̑̀͊̏͘͝t̵̨͎̾̓͌̑͑̓̂͠i̷̬̽̋̑̚͘d̶̟͔͙̉̍̔̑̉i̴̠̹͖̫̠̿̒͌͌̀̇͂͊͆͌s̷̯̭͍̄̄̔͘͜ć̶͖͕̲͉̫͔̩̎̑͛̊̅̀͌͠i̶͓͍̐͐͋͠p̶̩̙̗͇̩̖̖̔̔̎̄̔̈́͗̐͜͝l̴̥̦̲̟̱̽̐̂́̍͒ĭ̴̢̖̻͈̯̞̼̞̮̜̈̆̂̽͝͝n̶̞̗̅̈͆̃̈ǎ̴̭͍͍̙̯͓̜̹̉̈́r̸̡͇̥̊y̵͍͚̗̜̪̎̔̓̓̒̂̐̀ ̸͉͙̫͖͊̅̈́͌̎̿a̵̠̬͚͇̒͐͘͜͠r̷̢̪̖̪̝͎͛̆̀t̷̤̦͓̪̳̣̼̩̙̅͗̉̊̒̃̓̋̔̇į̸͕̖̰͓̰͕͔͉͖͂̏̉̀͒̂̚̚s̸̥͍̲̪̈̃̀̌͠t̸͙͉̼̺̲͚̰̭͙͎̏̏̅̿ ̵͖̭̼̖̊͋̀̕w̵̹͉̭̺̞͒͋̅h̶̟̘̬̲͔̃̚̚͝ö̷̡̧̩̲̝͎̲͎̈̑̅̉͂̔͗̈́̇͜ͅ ̷̠̈́̿ẁ̸̠͙̠̬͘͝ȧ̴̺̪̝̹̖͕̈́̈̎̓s̶̹̩̆̃͗̍̔ ̴̛̘̜̩̝͛̏́̐̎̎͗͠͝r̴̛̩̃̓̊́̈̿̌á̸̯͈͓̳̲̯̰̱̞͐̽̀̐́͑̑̂̍i̵͕̹̰̠͎̕s̶̯̹̘͚̜̈́͌̿́̾͝ͅę̶͖̳̻̖͆̌̎͘d̵͈̬͉͖͎̦̰̪̎̈́ ̶̱̪̟͕͎̑i̴̺̹̹̥̘͐͛̇̔͋͜͜ñ̴̛͖͈͎̣̭̳͔̗̥͑͂̒̉͛̕͜͝͠ ̸̢̼̬̞̝̞͓̭̂̑̌̓̀̓̆̽̂̕͜à̷͇̖̯̻̙̥̺̮̜͊̕̚n̶̨͈͋͝d̴͕͔͗ͅ ̶̧̝̍͊͘ŗ̴̯̲̰̪͉͖̮͚̿͆̽̉̀̓̑͘e̶͈̗̭͎̻͈̣͈̐ͅş̸͖͓͓̮̲̫̟̅͑͛̏̔̿̑̾̒̋͜i̴̼̲͓̺̰͇̜̓͌͗̃̎d̸͖̯͚̎̅͑ę̵̰̝̰̥͙͈͒̂͒̔̔̋͘͘͘͝s̴̥͇̮̙̮͑̈̈̀͠͝ ̶̦̤̭͈̼̲̦̬̑̿͑́̆̆͠ȋ̷̧͕̹̭͔̱̣͎̺ņ̷͕̩̍͊̌͋͗̚ ̷̢͙͈̠͖̰̯̦͊T̵̢̥̣͉͈̲̃̀̃͋̀̐̍̚u̷̧̻͎̲͎̟̺̙̻̤͒̈͠l̵͙̠͙͂͑͌̃͂̈́̈͐͌͘s̵̬̝̮̙͛́̍̿͂̅a̶͖͚̞̻̯͖̍̈͜,̷̛̻̬͎̫̲̤̟͕̭͊̆̌́̃ ̷̦̫̘͈̗̯̊̆̾́̉́̃͊̚̕͜Ö̷͕̹͚̼͇̤̔k̸̦̬̹͔̰͉̘̮̘͆̓͜l̶̳̟̳̮͑̓͝a̸̟̫͍̱͉̩̺̤͖̐̎ͅh̶̡̨̖͕̫̗̒̾͗͂͗̑̔̌͝ȱ̸͉̰͇͑͆́̑̍͠m̸̺̪͔̙̊́̓̄̿͜͝à̷̹̺̤͍͉̻̱̘̞̋͜.̷͓͚́ ̵̛̲̩̲̤̬̬̋̅͗̾͛̀̓͑͝Ṧ̸̻̝̙͕̺̑͜͝h̶̼͗̕è̶̡̬̝͋̍̈́͌̆̊͘͝ ̵̪̪͍̹̆͂̀̔̄̓̕ã̷̬͉̣̹̤̟̉̀̍͌̔̾͜͝ţ̸̛̙̹͚̯͎̝͙̓̽́̂͋̈́̏͝ṭ̴̭̮͙̮̲͐̈́̂͑̎͋̾̌̾e̶̢̯͕̱̬̫͙̋͂̓͝n̵̡̐s̵̡̢̗͕̥̭̲̝̙͎̀̍̒̎̏͑̈͘̕i̴̡̢͎̝͈͙̳͛́́͋͑̆̈̚͜͝ͅc̵̹̻̏͒̕.̷̝̯̱͒͆̀̎́ ̸̙͖̤̮̓̒͂̈́̉͌̑͜͠ͅI̵̛̟̲͓̼̭̪͊̏̐̆̎͑ͅn̸̡̡̙̘͚̰̳̮̫͈̊͆̇͑̇̔͗͝͝ ̵͚̀͋2̷̙͓̭̞͑͗̀̔̓̀̅͝͠ͅ0̴̢̲͎̘͈̝̣̬̓̏̓̑̐͜͝͝1̵̡̣̰͇͕̳͙̒̑̾̒̊̂̎̇̚8̴̢̡̑̔̈̏̏͂̕͝͝ ̶͎̭̆͆͒̈́̈́̽̋̓̈́͗A̶̢̖͇̲̘̼̹͍̳͂̽̐̒̆͗̽̏̎̕l̴̗͙͖̜̲̆͑̈́́̅͐͆̄̀͒l̷͈̖͍̓̾́͆i̶̫̝̐͊̀̇ş̴͇̠̭̣͋̌͂͒̌̀̾o̶̖̫̝̥̼͓̜̣͈̼̐ń̷̢͎̘̜̰̟̗̯̋̌̃͛̓̕̚ ̴̨̨̛̭̯̮̯̠͐̑s̶͔͇̮̼̘̣̳͚͖̔̐̓͌́͌t̵͈͇͖̠̿̋̽͂͜͠â̸̠̺̤̲̠̟͎̬͖̳͒̍̀͝r̴̡̟̟̼̝͔̠̎̒͗̍͊t̶̡̥͙̺̟̯͙̉̾̈́̌͗̈͋̕͘͝ȩ̸̗̞͍̬͉̩̾͑́͝ď̵͓͛̆͂ ̵̛̛̱͚̞͂͗̽̔͌͋̈́͘ã̷͓͔̣̄̕ ̷̨̢̲̼͙̦̺̏͜s̷̛̹̬͛̈́͘̚͝ ̸̝͎͈̼̣͊̎b̴̳̼͈̥͔͒̍̔͑̎̾̑̈́̈̄ë̸̯́͒̍̿ē̷̱͚͙͓̽̽̋̇̾̈́͘̚͠ͅņ̴̧̲͍͊́̉̚ ̶̟͍͔̥̙̓̈́̑͐̓͒͆͝a̷̱̗͍͖͕̅̈́͆̈͘͘ͅt̵͉̣͊̄̆ͅ ̷̡͈̝̈t̵̨̬̅̽̒̎̀́̅͝h̸̡̺͕͎͇̼͚͍̓͐͘e̵̡̫̭̺̠̋̒̎̐́̚͘͝͠ ̶̨̤̹̙͈̩͉͚̻̯͋͌͆̀f̷͚̻͇̱͍̆̇̄̍̉̅̋͠͠ǫ̴̼͉̗͕̠͙͎̎͆͒͒͂̽r̸͍̬̞̦̦̲̥͎̥̄̄̄͛͗͒͐̿̉̚e̶̢͎̳̮̼͐̈́f̴̢̧̳̥̱̤̹̒́͛̎̍̂̀̾̃ř̵̨̮̟̥̪̲̥̭͔̞͒̊̿ọ̴̎̏͗͊ṇ̷̞́̏̀͑͛̐̔͘t̵̨͕̪̹͉͈̦͑͝,̵̛̻̝̩̀͋̅̿̄̆̕͘͝ ̶̧̢̹̳̪̥́̋͜ṫ̴̩̗̰̜̀́̈̒̕͝h̵͖͖͓͊́̈́e̵̗͇͊̋́͘͜ ̶̧͖̖̻̞͇̞̘̩͛̀p̶̧͙̲͓͕̬̘͖̻̖̂͊a̵̢̹̜̹̲̦̼̖̙̕ș̷̨̤͉̜͒t̶͖̜̲̟͇̟̳̓̍̽̋̚ ̷̡͚͇̩̔̇͂͗̈͝5̶̧͇̣̳̪̟̜͖̻̈̈́̋̈́̉̔̉͌̿ ̶͕̭̋̏͌̂͆̋͝ŷ̶̠͚̰̖̮͎̤̻͕̽͆̈́͌̅̚͘͠ę̵̪̺̲͕̺͈̤̈́͘͠ä̴̠͌̓̆̚̕̚͘̕r̶̺̣͉̿̏̃̽͆̀͑̚͝ṡ̴̡͎͙̫͉͂̂̈́̍͆̕̕͜͝ ̸̨͓̱͔͇͈̬͔̄͝Ȁ̴̼̼̍̃̍͒͘l̷̛̗̼̲̑̈́͂̆̿̈l̸̮̖͖̼̬̞̤͗͑̄i̴̧̯͠s̸͔͖̪̯̭̃̊̓͋͂͋̔́͛ǫ̶̤͕̻̀͗͆͛͂͠n̷͔͖̯̞̦̘̋̏͂͂̔́͜͜ ̶͈̼͛̀͐͛̉̅̂̆̒h̸̞͔̯͕̩̱̝͍̓̔͊͂͂͜a̴̞͚̟͎̳͈̪̜͊̉̇̈́͗̆͛̓̕̚ś̶̘͓ ̴̨̰̮̙͉̓̊́̆̎͗̑b̷̹̠̫͖̉̃̏͠e̸̙̋̔̄̆̈̾̐e̵̱͓͙͕̓̈́̓͆͊n̷̘̦̘͎̝͖͇̹̜̥͌̆ ̵̢͈̯͚̮͔̳̍̆̊̎̑͗ş̸̩͈͗̄̀͗̄̀͌́́ḩ̴̨̧̳̮͓̤̙́̏͠ͅŏ̷͕̥̤͚̾́͝w̸̡͉̭͚̓̐̈̄̈́̄̌̓͊̓i̵͗͆̀̇͋͛̕ͅṋ̴̢͕̻͔̈̀ğ̷̫̝̼̭̦̔̃͛͐͝ ̴̧͚̿̋h̸͙̊̈́̎́̋̊͝e̴̡̡͆͐͌̒͒͝r̵̨̲̥̆̑̋͒͗̍͝ ̸̝̦̟̥̻̞̗̥͉͗ę̵̣̰̯̱̱̮͈̃̒͌́̚̚̕͠͝ņ̷̧͖͈̥̣͈̈̏c̵̡͙̳̬̱̭̗̟͗̑͗͌͋̑̌̿̈́͗a̸̞͍̯̬̪̬̬͑̑ư̸̦̣̩̫̮̮̍̄̈̍̒̐š̸̡̻̅͗ͅt̸̙̗̳̫͈͉͚̙̠͚̂î̶͔͛͂̎͠c̷̪̘͔͓̯̜̜̈́̌̓͊͌͆̑̈́͠ͅͅ ̶̼̅̅̈̀́̋̄̅̿w̵̲̙̬̓̃̈̊̎́͘̕à̷̢̻̮̱̺̰͌̌ͅͅẋ̸̣̀͑͂̀̎͆̄,̸̢̮̼̖̙̞̘̝̂͗̍̃̕ ̴̰̙̰̼̿̊̃͘ẅ̵̘͇͓͚̞̲̗̙͇́̀͛͊h̸͚̙̃̏͆͌̎̾͜i̵̧͎̬̞͙̻͓̅́̽̆͆͛̃͐͑͝l̸̢͙̙̘̦̟̘͔̞̬̅̉̾̐̅̒̑́e̶̩̞̭͔͔͇̅͆͐͂̔̒ ̸̙̙̲̞̟̗͖͘s̴͚̠̭͒̈́͊͊̔͝ḯ̷̜͚̭̱͉m̸͙̣̘̼̀̇́͝u̸̢͍͖̻̝̔̉͊̋̕l̵̬̊̽̍͒̐̎ṯ̶̡͓͔̩̞͚͈̍͗̓͒͜ȧ̸̧̭̺̙̳͉̥̋͝n̸̻̰̩̪̬̂ͅè̷͉̟̟̪͍̤̈̿͊̈́ó̸͔͍͍͈̱͙̉͂̃̽u̸̩̎̽̀̓s̷̢̘̭̋̓̐̀̽͛͝͠l̴͕̔̒͒͐͐̃̔́̋̚y̷̨̞͍̅̇̇̌̈̽͛͘͝͝ ̷̡̪̣͈̞̪͍̫̦̐͌̈f̵̨̜̹̗̀͐̔̎̈́̈́ö̴̫̠̙̜̥̹̤̱̹́͛̀̊͘͠c̶̝̙͎͔͔͔̦͑̓̚̕u̶̫͉͉̣͕̙͚̍̓̋̔̇̚ş̴̨̤̹̭͓̄͐͠i̵̱̰̞̐́̑̐̀̋͛̿͝͝n̵͖͓̹̤̐̈́ģ̶̨̛̺̤͔̩̲̮̊ ̷̡̧̼̞̰͙͙͙̀͗͂͗͑̂̓̎̔͝ͅọ̷͖̻̘̝̒̏̚͜ñ̶͖̬͚͓͜ ̸̝̖̼̮̯̜̖͎̝͎̀͂͊̄͂̌͐l̸̨̡̛̼̥̮̫̣̙̺̽̃̉̋̑̓̌̏͘ä̴̡̲̻̼̰̯͍̰́̐͒͛̈̔̈͊̄̍r̷̩̎̉̍̆͗̈́̋͠͝g̷̡̝̜̠̬̰̈́̋͊̍͐̎̈́e̸̼̥̹̱̭̰̞̼̿̆͌͒͗͗͆̒͑͜͜ ̴̟̙͉̹̦̭̉͜͝ş̵̼͖̘͖̲̭̖͂̑̐̑ͅͅc̷̪̠͒̍à̴̩̓̓̋͌̎͘l̷̜͌̽ě̶̪̾̂̏́́̊͛̈́ ̷͙͎͎̳͙̻̆̓̊̍͝ḯ̷̡̟͔̦͖̰̪̲̠̽͊̄͐n̶̪̼̹͑̈́́̿̐́̋̌͝s̸̡͔̮̰͎̺̭͗̈́̓̅̾͛̈́̎̓̓t̷̟̟̠̓̂̾̈͗̆̓͌̎͘à̴̢̝̈́̍͊̔̅̒̆̌͆ͅl̷̡̬̙̜̹̟̭͙̻͋̔ͅl̷̢̪̘̈́̇ͅa̵͔̹̦̜̓̈́̀̄̊͛̾t̶̨̗̀̿i̷̡̟̻̥̱͆̕o̴̹̭͖̘̐̌̇̊̓͂̏̀́ͅn̷̞̂͋̓͗̀̂̓̐̓̉s̶̟̄̓̌̊̄̊̍͂͂͝,̸̘̥͔̃͑͑̓̂̍ ̴̺̮́͜c̵̨̔́̕o̸͓͕̓̅̇́͛̑̈́͂̕ň̸̨͍͇c̴̜̻̔ẹ̵̬̙̫͖̈̅̈̚͝p̶̢̬̺̲̺͍̼̰̅̓̿t̵̢̫͖̤̊̽u̸̧͎̞̦͑͂̅̀͛ḁ̸̣̣̫̭̳̣̆͋l̶̻̣͂ ̵̢̧̧̻̘̑̇͋͜s̷̢͕̱͖͂̿̈́̄̋̐͝͠c̵̫̙͍̝̽ư̴̞̫̠̟͖̒l̶̲̝̘͍̰̲͗̈́̇͛̚ͅp̷̡̻͔̫͙̜̩̯͕̓̍̀̒̓̌̍̿̚t̴͚͛̈ủ̸̧̬̬̜͉͖̲̻̏ͅr̴̫͈̲̒̅̒͒͠͝e̴̪̲͕̞͆̒̏̈͆̓̾̀̈́́ ̶̜̭͍̺͉͉͖̒͌͌̈́̂̆͝ẁ̸̡̙͍͇̦̲͚̚ơ̵̳̣̜͚̦͐̐r̴̢̬͈̭̩̳̒̊͊̓̒͑̇̾̽̇k̸̨̰̼͙̦͍̲̂̑̈̅͑̀͑,̸̡̧͖̮̻͈̥̉̂̊͆̐̊́̽ ̵̘͊́̏͌͐̋̆̾̓a̸̢̧̡̱̰͍̲̲̙̒̄̌͊̄͒̚͜͝ń̶̨̡̻̮̭̰̳̘͚̬̏͐̈́ḏ̷̹̇̊̍̂̿͠͝ ̸͚̙̙̤͕͖̪̎̈̉̑̎͊͒̋͠c̷̨̡͍̜͇̥̜͒͊̚͝ư̶̹̫̲̪̖̥̠͕͌̆̔̇͝r̷̢̨̛͉̞̲̗̣̒̐̀̇̽̍͛͝ä̷̡̡̨̤̳͇̘͖̗͕́̏̒̓̆͆̕ṭ̴̛̳͖̜̐̀͊̓̅̿̿̚͝i̵̛͈̅̎̇̀͝o̷̡̻̞̱͓̹̞͌ͅn̴̼̋͆͘.̴̝̱̞̞̼̝̜̻̽͐̐̓̓̊̍͘̚͠