Susan Allen 1937-2025

The world of African art has lost one of its most passionate and discerning voices. Susan Allen, renowned collector and beloved member of the international African art community, passed away peacefully on June 3, 2025, at the age of 88, in her longtime home in Newton, Massachusetts.

Susan will be remembered above all for her deep devotion to Yoruba ibeji statuettes, sacred twin figures at the heart of one of West Africa’s most fascinating spiritual traditions. Over decades of collecting, study, and thoughtful curation, she assembled one of the most refined and celebrated collections of ibeji in private hands. Her eye for quality, emotional depth, and cultural authenticity was unmatched, and her ibeji were featured in George Chemeche’s seminal book on the subject—a testament to her importance in the field.

Her love for ibeji was not merely about the object, but about the spirit they conveyed—the stories they held, the rituals they served, the reverence they commanded. For Susan, collecting was a way of honoring those histories and creating a bridge between cultures with respect, humility, and genuine wonder.

Susan was a familiar and cherished presence at the great gatherings of African art connoisseurs—from Bruneaf in Brussels to Parcours des Mondes in Paris. She was part of an international circle of collectors and scholars who shared her dedication and joy, often seen gallery-hopping or exchanging insights over dinner. Her quiet authority, generosity of spirit, and infectious enthusiasm left an impression on all who met her.

Those who knew Susan speak of her as a woman of rare sensitivity and vision—someone whose relationship to art was deeply personal and profoundly respectful. Her home, lovingly curated over decades, was more than a collection: it was a sanctuary of cultural memory and aesthetic excellence.

In remembering Susan, we celebrate not only a collector, but a true steward of African heritage—someone who elevated the ibeji to their rightful place in the world of art and inspired countless others to look more closely, more thoughtfully, and with more heart.

Her presence will be deeply missed, but her legacy lives on in the beauty she preserved and the reverence she brought to every piece she touched.