Nikos Samartzidis was born in 1957 in Aridaia, Pella, region of Macedonia, but his family settled in Athens and then in Thessaloniki, where he grew up. In 1975 – 1976 he attended freehand drawing and line drawing classes. He then moved to Crete for three years (1979 – 1982). From 1982 to 1986 he was a professional ceramist in Thessaloniki.

He has been living in Germany since 1990. He has also worked with photography, and has held solo exhibitions and taken part in group exhibitions in Greece and abroad. He is a member of the “MALKASTEN” artists’ association of the city of Russelsheim.