“My art is the voice of an innocent man. It reflects my refusal to surrender to my situation and circumstances… Through my art, I find freedom.”
– Billie Allen
Artist Billie Allen was unjustly imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and has spent the last 28 years of his life in prison, on Federal Death Row. “Within the confines of a tiny 6’x8’ cell where I spend 23 hours a day, art has the power to set me free!” says Billie Allen.
Billie Allen refuses to wither, stay silent, or to live in the shadows while innocent. With hundreds of completed artworks, Billie Allen remains a relevant and important member of society and the art world, receiving contemporary awards, articles, and exhibitions.
The key to Billie Allen’s mental and physical survival is the daily practice of creating paintings, drawings, collage, mixed-media and interactive installation pieces with outside artists in exhibition spaces.
Billie Allen’s artwork masterfully engages the viewer with his personal story of innocence, injustice, systems of power and corruption, contemporary superheroes, and the use of historic events and Afro-futurism.
Showing nationally and internationally, Allen’s skilled hand, unbridled spirit, and provocative compositions have proven to break down walls and connect humanity. Innocent of the charges, Allen’s artwork and process are his tools for liberation, restoration, and resilience.
