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Alan Davie was a Scottish painter and musician whose work was strongly inspired by Zen philosophies and spirituality. He initially trained as a traditional artist and received formal training at the Edinburgh College of Art, though their methods were quickly forgotten when he become exposed to the works of abstract expressionists and sought to free his work from premeditated modes of making. After the conclusion of his studies, he became inspired by a wide variety of cultural influences but was particularly drawn to Eugen Herrigel's book Zen in the Art of Archery where he quickly found an affinity between his desired modes of making and the spontaneity of Zen teachings.

Many of his paintings were created while standing above them, similar to the method of Jackson Pollock. He worked with symbology, claiming that his multiple layers of erratic brushstrokes produced significant symbols beyond pure abstraction. In addition to his paintings, he also produced a series of screen-prints.

Today, Davie's work can be found in the permanent collections of various prominent institutions including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Tate Gallery, Harvard University Art Museums and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.