ALLEN’S CRUZ
Independent Designer | Visual Artist | Typography Specialist
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Allen’s Cruz is an independent designer and visual artist based in Tio’tia:ke / Mooniyang / Montréal. His multidisciplinary practice spans typography, print, publishing, and digital design, engaging with the intersections of art and culture.
Rooted in his hybrid Dominican-Canadian identity, Cruz views design as a bridge between cultural identities, using typography to construct shared meaning and respond to evolving social and cultural landscapes.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Independent Designer – Montréal, Québec, Canada
* 2023 – Present
Collaborating with artists, designers, publishers, and studios on diverse projects. Recent clients include Caroline Monnet, Francis Goodship, Raul Aguilar Canela, Miri Chekanovich, Fomenta Studio, Carolane Bélanger, Kenny Dorvil, Joyce Jouma, Fonderie Darling, and Concordia Press.
Co-Founder
TheyType – Montréal, Québec, Canada
* 2023 – Present
Co-founded a type foundry specializing in high-quality custom fonts
with Sarah Auches.
Lead Designer
OTAMI-O – Montréal, Québec, Canada
* Jan 2022 – 2024
Leading design initiatives in collaboration with Cree artist
Sebastien Aubin. Notable projects include work for the Canadian
Centre for Architecture (CCA), Postcommodity, Remai Modern Gallery, Art Gallery of Ontario, and Jeffrey Gibson.
Graphic Designer/Assistant
Sébastien Aubin – Montréal, Québec, Canada
* Aug 2019 – Dec 2021 (2 year 5 months) Collaborated on diverse cultural and commercial design projects.
Art Director
Magazine L’Organe – Montréal, Québec, Canada
* Aug 2017 – Apr 2019 (1 year 9 months) Directed the visual identity and production of the magazine.
Junior Graphic Designer
Commissaire Officiel – Montréal, Québec, Canada
* Aug 2017 – Dec 2017 (5 months)
Assisted in creating graphic assets and branding projects.
EDUCATION
Concordia University – Montréal, Québec, Canada
* Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Design and Art
2015 – 2019
Cégep Marie-Victorin – Montréal, Québec, Canada
* Diploma of College Studies (DEC) in Graphic Design
2011 – 2015
RESIDENCIES & EXHIBITIONS
Tlaxcala3 Residency – Mexico City, Mexico
* 2023: Explored themes of visual poetry, marginal discourse, and
decolonial design, culminating in the exhibition A.T.E. (Asuntos de
un Tipógrafo Experimental).
Nicho Program – Space for Research and Projects
* 2023: Presented a piece in the collective exhibition ANTI-
PROCESSES [Shared Points].
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
* 2017: Project Maison, Surface Habitable – Expo-vente de design,
Magasin7, Montréal, QC
* 2017: Project Maison – SIDIM Exhibition, Montréal, QC
* 2017: Untitled “Tea” Table – SIDIM Exhibition, Montréal, QC
PUBLICATIONS
* 2021: Failles transformatrices – Published by Collectif Blanc
* 2021: Vies des Arts, Issue 261
* 2019: What Eric has in Common with the Font Gill? – Published in
L’Organe Magazine, Adversaire Issue No.16
ADDITIONAL TRAINING
* 2022: Typebreak Workshop – Digital Type Design with Alberto Guerra & Giulia Zafferani
* 2017: Copper and Brasses Workshop – Drawing Type with Étienne Aubert Bonn
* 2017: Volunteer for ATypI 2017 – The Association Typographique
Internationale
* 2016: Calligraphy Workshop – Textura & Fraktur (Blackletter) with Christian Bélanger