Jess Allen was born in Bridport. She studied initially at Camberwell College of Arts and then at Falmouth School of Art where she obtained a BA (Hons) in Fine Art. She lives with her husband, a sculptor, and two children, in Penwith. Her preferred genre is still-life, which allows her to focus on the study of simple everyday objects, seeking to convey (in the words of De Chirico) 'both a sense of presence and absence'.

Recent paintings of clothing explore ideas of femininity, sexuality and image.