Una Allis was
born in South Africa and spent her formative years there. She moved to
England in 1971 and has lived there since, mostly in Cambridge, where
she currently resides.
She retains a
strong affinity for Africa and her experiences of its people and natural
beauty continue to inspire her and inform both her paintings and
photography. Her art is witness to her love of nature and her delight in
visual experience.
She
writes:
‘The
natural world is a source of wonder to me and I find beauty in what is
enduring as well as in things which are ephemeral. ’
Her
paintings
are in the Chinese Brush painting tradition. They are highly original as
she uses the materials and style of that tradition to depict not only
Western, but also African scenery.
Her
photographs are of diverse subjects. Landscape, nature, seascape, candid
portraiture and photojournalism all feature in her portfolio. Needless
to say, she has a substantial collection of African photographs. Many of
these were taken with an analogue camera, but she now also has a digital
camera and uses the latest technology to create striking images in both
colour and monochrome.
Una’s
photographs have been widely exhibited in the U.K. and she also has work
in private collections in the U.K., the U.S.A, South Africa, France and
Japan. An
exhibition entitled ‘Buddhist
Art’ will be held in Cambridge in
June
2005, and both her photographs and paintings will be on display in July
2005 as part of the
Cambridge Open
Studios.
