Yiannis Koutsis was born in Patras. He studied painting under Grigoris Papatheodorou and Gerasimos Kassolas and then took painting classes at the Athens School of Fine Arts.

Since 1973 his work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions in America and Greece. He was awarded for his participation in the Calhoun’s Collectors Society competition in the USA. He also worked with billboards.