In her own words, artist and native Memphian Allyn Fraser is “one of those annoying people who has always known what she wanted to do.” As it turns out, she also always knew where she wanted to do it. “Memphis is a huge part of who I am,” she says. Her family has lived here for many generations, and that deep sense of place runs through both her life and her work. “I am really proud of Memphis. The nitty-gritty of it. That it’s not perfect.” While Allyn didn’t necessarily plan to return home after college, she can’t imagine building her career anywhere else.
Her creative path began early, right here in Memphis. As a child, Allyn often accompanied her mother, an interior designer, to client meetings around the city. While her mother worked, Allyn doodled in old daytimers, filling the pages with drawings from her imagination. Those sketches often became gifts for clients, an early sign that Allyn’s art was meant to be shared.
After high school, Allyn left Memphis to study art at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she “dabbled in a little bit of everything.” Though her focus was painting, she explored printmaking, photography and ceramics. That broad exposure shaped the way she works today. Blending techniques she learned in college, she now primarily paints in gouache, acrylics, and oil.
Allyn began mainly as a portrait artist, even back in high school. Over time, however, her approach shifted. Today, portraits make up just one part of her practice and are usually imagined rather than based on real people. She paints figures inspired by a feeling or vibe, like a cowboy clown or a little girl playing dress-up. While she will still paint portraits of real people, she prefers clients who welcome her whimsical interpretation.
After college, Memphis drew her back. Allyn returned home to study Art History at the University of Memphis and Art Education at Christian Brothers University. While completing her post-graduate studies and later working at an architecture firm, she continued making her art on the side. Eventually, she began “live painting” at weddings, first creating traditional portraits of the bride and groom, then expanding to paint guests as well. Though speed painting can be hectic, Allyn enjoys the challenge, describing it as “a high-end photo booth.”
One of the most distinctly Memphis elements of her work is her matchbook series. Beginning in the 1970s, Allyn’s mother collected matchbooks from local restaurants and bars, creating an archive of the city’s nightlife. Allyn loved sorting through the collection and became obsessed with it. “It’s not something you can really collect anymore,” she says. “You’d have to buy them secondhand.” A few years ago, she began painting the matchbooks as a way to preserve that nostalgia, debuting the series at the Cooper-Young Festival in 2024. Their popularity proves that these images resonate with others who share memories of Memphis’s past.
Allyn sells both matchbook prints and the original paintings, though she only paints each matchbook once. Her work is available at Collected by Elizabeth Malmo and Paradox at PeCo, and you can also “build your own matchbook collection” on her website. Some of her other pieces hang at Fawn Restaurant in Cooper-Young, and she regularly participates in local events such as the Cooper-Young, Double Decker, Crafts & Drafts and Soul & Spirits festivals.
Like many artists, Allyn measures success in more than one way. She considers herself luckiest to be a mom. “I am finally a full-time working artist. And momma,” she says. “My son will always be the greatest thing I have ever made.” When talking about her family and her hometown, she notes that her son is a sixth-generation Memphian. “I can be an artist here, and people care about it,” Allyn says. “The creative community is so homey and welcoming. It doesn’t feel competitive. I always feel supported when I step out with my art. I wouldn’t want to do this anywhere else.”
To see more of Allyn’s work, visit allynmakes.com.
The creative community is so homey and welcoming. It doesn’t feel competitive. I wouldn’t want to do this anywhere else.