Alessandra Giovannoni was born in Rome, where in the 1970s she attended the Faculty of Architecture before enrolling at the Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1982 under Emilio Greco in sculpture, a technique she soon abandoned in favor of painting, more suited to her research focused on light and the instantaneous vision of reality. In the 1980s, she attended engraving technique courses at the Calcografia Nazionale, created set designs for films, and executed wall decorations for private residences and hotels in Rome.

Between 1986 and 1997, on the occasion of International Study Conferences organized by La Sapienza University of Rome, she was commissioned portraits of Giuseppe Capogrossi (1986), Giacomo Perticone (1995), Augusto Del Noce (1995), and Antonio Rosmini (1997). From 1983, she participated in numerous group exhibitions; in 1986, she held her first solo exhibition in Rome at Galleria Al Ferro di Cavallo, and from 1991, she began collaborating with Galleria Il Segno in Rome. Over the years, her works have been acquired by the Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome, Museo di Avezzano, Museo dell'Arte Sacra di San Gabriele al Gran Sasso, Museo di Villa San Giovanni, and the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro Contemporary Art Collection. In 2001, she received a medal from the Mayor of Rome for executing an eight-color serigraphy commissioned by the municipality. She has received numerous awards (first prize at the 5th Kiwanis Award and 26th Premio Avezzano, 1999; painting prize at the 19th Premio Internazionale Erice, 2000; second prize at the 1st Premio Ferruccio Ferrazzi; first prize at the 59th Premio Michetti, 2008); in 2005, she was invited to the 14th Rome Quadriennale; in 2011, to the 54th Venice Biennale; and in 2014, to the Biennale d’Arte Creativa - Biennale di Viterbo.

Since the late 1990s, she has illustrated numerous stories, including Il re dei falliti by Paul Auster, Arrivo in terra italiana by Witold Gombrowicz for "Diario della settimana" of "L'Unità", Il Fuoco by Andrea Carraro, Il cinema che non esiste più by Valentino Zeichen, Volo a parabola by Giulia Carcasi for collections Le strade di Roma, Interni romani, I colori di Roma published by "La Biblioteca di Repubblica." She has illustrated articles for "La Repubblica" and "Il Corriere dello Sport" and created cover artworks for publications including I Beni Culturali e il Paesaggio. Le leggi, la storia, le responsabilità (Zanichelli, 2007) and the CD Faraualla. Musiche popolari dell’Italia meridionale curated by RAI.

She continues her exhibition activity in group and solo shows, including in Palermo at Loggiato San Bartolomeo, Marino at Museo Civico Mastroianni, Anticoli Corrado at Museo Civico, Rome at Museo Carlo Bilotti (2011), Bologna at Palazzo Pepoli Campogrande "Premio Fabbri" (2015), Cisternino at MAAAC/Torre Civica (2016), the Italian Chamber of Deputies (2016), Museo MACRO (2016), and Viterbo at Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Rocca Albornoz (2023/2024).