Born in Washington, D.C., in 1944, Alec Simpson creates abstract mixed-media works shaped by color, energy, and music. He describes his approach as akin to jazz improvisation: once he has established a work’s materials and underlying story, he lets the process unfold within loosely set parameters. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in music, an M.F.A. in Comparative Arts, and an M.B.A. in General Management. Though he studied art as a child at the Corcoran and later took classes with artist Mindy Weisel, Simpson has described himself as largely self-taught in the studio. After years spent pursuing other interests, a demonstration of monotype printmaking renewed his commitment to making art. He has since worked with artists and printmakers including Lou Stovall, Susan Goldman, Michael Platt, and Helen Frederick, as well as artists at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center.

Simpson’s Postcards from Berlin: Rising from the Ashes series grew from materials he gathered while traveling in Berlin, including postcards, maps, beads, and other found objects. Some materials were burned, and their ashes incorporated into works on postcards and card stock. Simpson described the series as a reflection on resilience and the possibility of finding hope after difficulty. In Washington, he has exhibited his work and helped organize exhibitions of local African-American artists; his solo exhibition Some Things Old, Most Things New: Exploration at Gravity Press was presented at the District of Columbia Arts Center in 2019–20. A 2025 exhibition at George Mason University also featured his work.