American sculptor Alma Allen, who is set to represent the U.S. at the Venice Biennale in May, has joined Perrotin’s roster of artists. He will make his debut with the French powerhouse gallery at their Paris outpost this fall with a selection of 20 new works.
Born in Utah and based in Mexico, Allen is known for his biomorphic forms carved from stone or wood and cast in bronze. His practice includes the use of robotic technology and hand-modeling small maquettes. Allen was born into a large Mormon family in Utah in 1970 and spent his childhood surrounded by nature. This rural upbringing led him to construct small objects using found stone and wood. His art practice is entirely self-taught, and in 1993, he moved to New York City and began selling his hand-carved sculptures on the street off of an ironing board.
His breakthrough moment came in 2014 when he was included in the Whitney Biennial, after which he began regularly showing with the now-shuttered galleries Blum and Poe and Kasmin. In 2018, the Palm Springs Art Museum opened a two-person show featuring the artist’s work in dialogue with J.B. Blunk, and last year, ten of his monumental sculptures were installed along Park Avenue in New York.
Late last year, it was announced that Allen will represent the U.S. in its pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2026 after Robert Lazzarini’s selection was withdrawn. Allen will present some 30 sculptures in a presentation titled “Call Me the Breeze,” curated by Jeffrey Uslip, a former chief curator of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.
Before joining Perrotin, Alma was represented by Olney Gleason (formerly Kasmin gallery) and Mendes Wood DM. In an interview with the New York Times, Allen claimed that both galleries dropped him after he accepted the Venice Biennale commission. According to Allen, despite part of the funding for the American pavilion coming from the U.S. government, he has maintained full artistic control over the presentation. He will show seven or eight new works alongside previous sculptures.
In a separate report, the New York Times, Allen said that discussions between himself and Emmanuel Perrotin, the French gallery owner, began before he was asked to represent the United States. The two reportedly met in late October. Perrotin has said that the gallery will assist with some financial and operational support in Venice.
