Belgian painter and graphic artist Pierre Alechinsky was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1927. After studying at the Ecole Supericure d'Architecture et d'Art Decoratif in Brussels, he joined the Jeune Peinture Belge association in 1947. In 1949 he co-founded the Cobra group, but disassociated himself from it in 1951.

He then moved to Paris where he studied drawing with Hayter at Atelier 17 in 1952. Soon afterwards he made contact with a number of Japanese calligraphers, including Shiryu Morita. In 1955 he traveled in the Far East and made a film in Japan entitled Calligraphic Japonaise. From 1960 onwards, he traveled in the USA and Mexico He is now living in Paris. Alechinsky's work, which reveals the influence of eastern calligraphy, includes a large number of graphic designs.

By 1960 he had exhibited in London, Berne and at the Venice Biennial, and then in Pittsburg, New York, Amsterdam and Silkeborg as his international reputation grew. he worked with Wallace Ting and continued to be close to Christian Dotremont. He also developed links with Andre Breton. His international career continued throughout the seventies and by 1983 he became Professor of painting at the Ecole nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris.

In 1994 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Free University of Brussells, and in 1995 one of his designs was used on a Belgian stamp.