Allen was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1965.
As a teenager he found freelance illustration work with the local newspapers and later with the major ad agencies in South Africa while still in high school, working on campaigns for print and television. After graduating from the Parktown High School of Art, Music and Ballet in 1982 and subsequently obtaining a Graphic Design Degree in 1987, Allen worked as an Art Director for 3 years at Ogilvy Mather in Johannesburg. While art directing he also freelanced widely as a storyboard artist, and began finding an outlet for his painting by exhibiting at local galleries.
After travelling Europe for three years and living in Los Angeles for eight months, he moved to London for six years, where he studied abstract painting at the Slade. He held three solo exhibitions in England. His work is expressive, exploiting the textures in thick base coats of gesso, and using sprays, brush and spatula for overlaying thick and thin coats of acrylic. Allen uses the local area for theme and subject matter such as buildings and beaches, and the textures and ruggedness of South Africa are apparent in his abstracts.

In October 2000 he and his wife moved from London to Fairfield, Connecticut, where he now lives and works. He has since held a number of solo exhibitions at area galleries.