Allen Knows His Gun uses oil/acrylic paints to express his vision of Native culture. He was born in 1978 and is currently a resident of Billings, Montana. His work reflects his Crow Native American heritage and his careful research is evident with his authentic portrayal of period clothing, equipment and scenery.
Allen’s creativity is spontaneous. He likes to capture the imagination of the viewer in an emotionally eye-catching way. “I try to take the viewer back to how the warrior was. I try to make the art as piercing as possible. Always in the back of my mind is that I want the painting to be unforgettable.”
Allen was introduced to the art world as a child. He had attended art shows and was influenced by his father’s art. “My dad’s an artist and I guess it was just inevitable that I would do it. When I was younger, I had no intention of being an artist. I wanted to be a veterinarian. My sister and all my brothers are artists. My older brother is a very talented artist. He was my idol and any kind of art he did, I always tried to follow.”
According to Rabbit Knows Gun, Allen’s father, who is also a very accomplished artist, “A very famous, internationally renowned Native Crow artist confided in me that my son, Allen, is a great artist. I personally feel, after having been exposed to the art world for at least 25 years, that Allen’s work is truly refreshing, emotionally super-charged and definitely over- whelming but pleasing for the visual observer.” Among the many shows Allen participated in and art commissions he has received, in November 2003, Allen received Best of Show honors at the Cultural Arts Festival in Billings, Montana which was held at the Big Horn College.
Allen graduated with a BA degree in American Indian Studies from Haskell Indian Nations University in 2003 and received a MA degree in Indigenous Nation Studies from the University of Kansas this year. Allen is now a full-time artist.
