Allan Banford
Contemporary artist, author, producer, and multidisciplinary creator, dedicated to exploring the juxtaposition between technology and the realities of the past, present, and future.
Biography from his diverse portfolio. Banford’s creations serve as a prism through which to examine the intricate dance between humanity and the environment. His work delves into the profound impacts technology exerts on organic existence, while also envisioning pathways toward a more sustainable fusion of creativity and materialization, fostering a harmonious future.
Banford’s oeuvre is an invitation to immersive experiences that transcend temporal boundaries, instigating dialogues on the past, present, and future. Through his artworks, literary compositions, and productions, he orchestrates a symphony of perspectives, often juxtaposing organic and technological forms. As an artist, he channels his fervent commitment to preserve and stewardship of our shared future.
Central to Banford’s ethos is a vision of sustainable art, rooted in the imperative of safeguarding our planet for generations to come. He ardently believes in the transformative potential of creative expression, positing the arts as catalysts for fostering ecological consciousness and driving societal change.
Banford’s creations are coveted by collectors and enthusiasts of futurology alike, their allure stemming from their distinctive insight into the convergence of technology and our collective destiny. Through his art and literature, Banford offers a profound meditation on the interconnectedness of humanity, technology, and the imperative of preserving our creative legacy for posterity.
Extended Biography
Allan Banford’s life is a story of constant evolution, innovation, and exploration. From an early age, he had an insatiable desire to create, and this desire would eventually lead him to become a renowned visual artist who produces abstract paintings, digital art, installations, and electronic music productions.
As a child, Allan drew and painted everywhere and on anything he could get his young hands on, including on top of paintings hung in his home. This process of recreating art on almost any surface he could find was not only fun, but it was a journey of discovery to understand how a painting could ignite different feelings. His artistic additions improved some of the artworks he selected as part of his home refurbishment program until he painted a decorative addition on his mum’s graduation portrait, and that was the end of painting around the house. Although his mischievous creativity resulted in a ban from touching anything framed on the walls, he realized that he could preserve his ideas on a canvas and keep it forever.
As Allan grew older, he became fascinated with graphic design and technology, learning how to use Photoshop and Illustrator as a foundation for his graphical skills. He also began to study artistic ideologies from different fields, which fueled his creative self-education. However, this didn’t fully satisfy his expectations, so he immersed himself in mixing, writing, and producing electronic music to voice his creativity and point of view. Starting as a DJ, constructing sets from building blocks of tech-house, techno-influenced by Jeff Mills, Carl Cox, and Richie Hawtin, Allan’s passion for music and his intuitive ability to put tracks together earned his reputation for consistently delivering exuberant live performances full of energy and passion.
As time advanced, his unique sound brought him to perform extensively worldwide, and he set up his first recording studio in Kensington, London, UK. Allan was set to develop one of the most innovative sounds on the market called Electro Techno and experimental Electronica. His debut EP Essential Elements, released by the Swedish Label SLS records, was respected worldwide thanks to the support of Jeff Mills in his DVD The Exhibitionist, was closely followed by a succession of top-quality productions, including Best of British, released on Carl Cox’s label Intec Records.
The demand for his productions pushed Allan to create Evolved Records, a record label for established artists interested in experimenting with new genres, Evopro Recordings, for promoting new talent, and NB Records exclusively for Allan’s audiovisual productions. He was captivated by the whole process of sampling, composing, editing, mastering, producing, and live performing. Music gave him the foundation to learn how to communicate his ideas to bigger audiences, and, after a few years of producing and playing music worldwide, he pursued a self-taught parallel career as an artist in fine art and digital art.
Allan Banford is a master of his craft, a visionary artist who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of constant self-education, delving deep into the lives and characteristics of his artistic references such as William Turner, Francis Bacon, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, On Kawara, and Gerhard Richter, to mention a few.
This profound understanding of himself is reflected in his artworks as they respond directly to the surrounding environment of everyday experiences.
Banford’s artwork is a reflection of his unique artistic style, which he has developed over the years. His “Laceration” technique involves deconstructing the subject to the extent that the meaning is shape-shifted, creating an abstract interpretation that challenges perception and perspective. Through this approach, he brings unnoticed instances to life, creating multi-layered textured artworks that capture movements, emotions, portraits and, figures revealing an inseparable relationship between dimension and space.
Banford’s artistic philosophy follows the concept of constant creative evolution, identifying the boundaries between consciousness and reality. His artworks embody this philosophy and are a testament to his commitment to push the limits of creativity. His legacy will help future generations understand how important it is to believe in ourselves as individuals and as a species. Banford’s career as an artist has been a constant evolution, marked by the transition from music to art, leading to several solo exhibitions across America, South America, Europe, and Asia and several awards, including the World Citizen Artists Award with the artwork “Golden Peace,” commemorating Nelson Mandela’s anniversary.
In Banford’s studio, the most essential tools are music and light. Apart from brushes, knives, and wood panels, his methods and materials are constantly experimental, and he rarely executes the same instruments within a series. His primary medium is acrylic due to its versatility and efficiency. However, you will also find mixed media artworks with many diversification’s of unconventional elements like wax, hair, Chinese ink, or even tape. Banford predominantly paints on wood due to the organic texture and character, which is hard to achieve from stretched canvas, but he has also mastered canvas and board mediums.
Banford’s creative process is an intriguing one. The only sketched element of his creative process is color, with no more than three tonalities or any specific structure. Once he begins painting and defines the concept, it becomes only a matter of realizing when to stop. His art is noticeable for the opposite ends of the color spectrum, following the principles of the golden ratio to preserve harmony. He works in various styles, shifting from the figurative to the abstract to the entirely digital. His artworks have roots in the traditional of European figurative expressionism, which is evident in the vibrancy and life-like quality of his works.
Banford is in tune with his environment, and every new experience, discovery, or travel opportunity provides him with the information to constantly improve his style. He avoids social media influences or trends that segment and categorize creativity based on popularity. This strategy has been the key to materializing his subconscious visually. He is one of the first notable non-traditional Western artists to make a career from his global influences. Banford’s artwork represents a sophisticated and deep exploration of the relationship between art and the human experience, revealing the infinite possibilities of creativity.
Press
- ArtGence Virtual Exhibition ∙ Yorkpedia ∙ United States.
- Dream Runs – Allan Banford Solo exhibition Press release.
- Republic TV ∙ Mumbai ∙ India.
- Winter Contemporary Art 2020 ∙ by TimaxArt TimaxGlobal Ltd ∙ New York.”
- D’AUCHEL x Allan Banford ∙ Beijing ∙ China.
- Shenzhen Digital Art Festival ∙ Azucarmag ∙ SZ/China.
- Pear News TV ∙ Hong Kong/China.
- Phoenix InfoNews TV Channel report ∙ China.
- Hong Kong Commercial Daily ∙ China.
- Deasignx Dichan ∙ China.
- MT Interior ∙ Design China.
- Equilife Magazine ∙ Norway.
- Purplehaze Magazine ∙ 001 Seduction Issue ∙ Berlin ∙ Germany.
- Galleri Heike Arndt DK ∙ International contemporary art in Berlin (DE) & Kettinge (DK) ∙ Berlin ∙ Germany.
- Servin Magazine ∙ Issue #4 ∙ United Kingdom.
- Ta Kung Pao ∙ Arts ∙ Hong Kong.
- Interview ∙ Murze Magazine ∙ Germany.
- August ∙ A5 Magazine ∙ United Kingdom.
- Beyon Art Basel ∙ Tatler Magazine ∙ Hong Kong.
- Wotisart #17 ∙ Wotisart Magazine ∙ United Kingdom.
- Asia Contemporary Art Show ∙ Ran Dian ∙ Hong Kong.
- Silvermoon ∙ Hayden Magazine ∙ United States.
- The Art Society of Soho ∙ Shoreditch ∙ United Kingdom.
- King of Second Chances ∙ Aurora Elite International ∙ United Kingdom.
- The Artist Catalog #17 ∙ Summer Edition ∙ United Kingdom.
- Challenger ∙ Artsy ∙ United Kingdom.
- Castle Fine Art launches Summer Exhibition ∙ Cassart ∙ United Kingdom.
Publications
- Arte Al Limite ∙ Newspaper 124 ∙ Chile.
- Movements in Art Since 1945. (World of Art) ∙ Edward Lucie-Smith ∙ Thames & Hudson ∙ UK.
- Esquire Magazine ∙ Interview / Issue 74 ∙ Hong Kong.
Interviews
- Art today Asia ∙ Allan Banford Interview.
- Esquire Magazine Hong Kong ∙ Allan Banford Interview.
- Murze online arts platform and magazine Allan Banford Fine Art Interview.
