Alan Davie was born on September 28, 1920 in Grangemouth, Scotland, UK. A printmaker, painter, jewelry designer and musician, he graduated from the Edinburgh College of Arts in the late 1930s. After serving in the British Royal Artillery during World War II (1941 - 1946), he continued studying painting, taking great interest in the philosophy of Zen, the Surrealist movement, and the automatic line. Additionally, he continued his studies in jazz saxophone and the Jazz genre.

After marrying Janet Gaul in 1947, Davie began exhibiting throughout Europe. At this time, given his Surrealist style and Britain's general preference for cassical works, Davie's work was first embraced by the United States, and in 1948 he sold several paintings to Peggy Guggenheim after exhibting in Florence and Venice. 1950 saw his first one-man show, at Gimpel Fils Gallery in London, and by 1954 he had established his home and studio in Hertford Heath. He taught in 1959 at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London, and lectured at the Royal College of Art in London in 1977, and was visiting Professor at the University of Brighton School of Art. Davie participated in numerous solo shows and retrospectives throughout Europe and the United States.

Alan Davie died on April 5, 2014 in Hertfordshire, Scotland, UK.