Allen was born in 1926 in
Raunds,
Northamptonshire, England. He graduated from the
Slade School of Fine Art in London (1954). He was a professor of art in the
Fine Arts department (1972–1987), and finally professor emeritus on his retirement in 1987. His work in the 1990s was in partnership with the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (ATEP) at Queen's Faculty of Education, and he taught on reserves in
Moose Factory and
Kasabonika in 1995. Allen exhibited in 15 shows prior to 1973, receiving several Canada Council grants, gaining critical attention through publications such as
Canadian Art. He did not show his work again until after his retirement, with four shows of new works in the early 1990s. In 1990, he exhibited his work at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston and at Rodman Hall Gallery in St. Catharines. ==Collections==