菲利普‧艾伦1967年生于伦敦，1987年于伦敦金斯顿大学修读艺术，1990年就读于伦敦皇家艺术学院，现于伦敦工作和生活。
艾伦的画作是凭着他从不间断的素描研习作成的。他在A5大小的纸张上以毡头笔记下抽象形体与构图，并将意念发展为他独特的绘画，以油彩木本为主。为了营造透视效果，艾伦往往在作品边缘处涂上团团颜料，为画面镶上了立体画框。这个做法，打破了传统绘画的束缚，使画面延展到框架以外，并形成一种强大的气势灌注到画作里。在画框之内，艾伦清澈澄明的笔触，描绘了虚渺而千变万化的幻想世界。
艾伦作品的标题往往看似脱离常规，但却富有含意。作品《卡特尔费尔托（工作室版本）》（2004）以江湖卖艺者的名字命名。此人为十八世纪末欧洲著名的魔术师，以电力和显微镜等仿制出各种科学反应，制造魔术奇观。作品中心处呈现了卡特尔费尔托式的虚幻感觉。当表演者用上烟幕和诡计来瞒骗观众之时，艾伦则以透视错觉和颜料让观者相信画作并非是平面的。
艾伦曾在多处举行个展，包括：夏费尔．赫夫肯斯画廊（布鲁塞尔，2007）；米尔顿．凯恩斯画廊（英格兰，2006）；克林画廊（都柏林，2005）；阿普洛奇画廊（伦敦，2008，2004，2002）；以及PS1 (纽约，2003)。联展包括「抽象」(米彻尔．因纳斯&纳殊画廊，纽约，2007)；英国艺术展VI (2005/06)；「保持积极」（马里拉当代艺术馆，米兰，意大利，2004）；「Post Flat— 伦敦新艺术」（洛斯画廊，费城，2003）；「在天堂又一个讨厌的日子」（巴达．韦斯学院以及皇家美术学院，伦敦，2002）。
Phillip Allen was born in London in 1967. He studied Fine Art at Kingston University, London in 1987 and later attended the Royal College of Art, London in 1990. He lives and works in London.
Allen’s paintings are borne out of a continuous practice of sketching. He works on a small scale, on A5 paper, using felt pens to produce sketches that chart the inception and development of his abstract forms and arrangements. He then develops these ideas into distinctive paintings, executed predominantly in oil on board. To create an illusion of perspective, Allen often applies thick globules of paint to the borders of the work, creating a 3 dimensional frame to the imagery within. Often these antipasto borders defy the traditional confines of the painting and appear to either expand outside the picture frame or encroach into the picture with an overwhelming presence. Within the borders, Allen’s lucid paint strokes evoke motifs of hallucinatory and kaleidoscopic dream-scapes.
The titles of Allen’s paintings appear unusual but are in fact purposeful in their meaning. Katterfelto (Studio Version) (2004), was named after a travelling performer called Gustavus Katterfelto. He became famous throughout Europe in the late 18th century for being a spectacular illusionist who passed off small scientific reactions, involving electricity and microscopy, as pseudo-magical phenomena. The central area of the painting takes on Katterfelto’s illusionary persona. Where the performer would use smoke screens and trickery to deceive his audience, Allen uses perspective and paint to deceive the viewer to the actual flatness of the surface.
Phillip Allen has had solo shows at Zavier Hufkens, Brussels, 2007; Milton Keynes Gallery, Milton Keynes, England, 2006; Kerlin Gallery, Dublin, 2005; The Approach Gallery, London in 2008, 2004, and 2002; PS1 New York in 2003. Group shows include Abstract, Mitchell, Innes & Nash Gallery, New York, 2007; the British Art Show 6, 2005/06; Stay Positive at Marella Arte Contemporanea, Milan, Italy, 2004; Post Flat - New Art from London, Lock’s Gallery, Philadelphia, 2003; Another Shitty Day in Paradise, Bart Wells Institute, London and the Royal Academy, London, 2002.