Dubuffet was born in Le Havre in 1901. He moved to Paris in 1918 where he briefly studied art at the Académie Julian. In 1925, he began working in the wine trade but painted periodically until 1942 after which he devoted himself exclusively to painting.

His first solo exhibition was in 1944 at the Gallery René Drouin in Paris. His first solo exhibition in New York was held at the Pierre Matisse Gallery (1947). During his lifetime, major exhibitions of his work included: Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (1960-61), Museum of Modern Art, New York (1962), Tate Gallery, London (1966), Guggenheim Museum, New York (1973), Akademie der Künst, Berlin (1980).

Since Dubuffet's death in 1985, his work has continued to be exhibited worldwide. Major retrospectives have included: Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume, Paris (1991), Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington DC (1993) and Saarland Museum, Saarbrücken, Germany (1999).