Maria Pitsikaki was born in Krousonas, province of Malevizi, Heraklion prefecture. She first took icon painting classes next to icon painters Manolis Bandinakis and Manolis Spanakis in Crete before attending free painting lessons and studying painting at a private school in Athens. She also studied journalism.

Her paintings have been presented in solo and group exhibitions both in Greece and abroad and her icons are found in several churches in Crete. Besides working as a journalist, she works as a writer, editor and illustrator of books; she produces short films, and is an avid promoter of women’s entrepreneurship. She was honoured by the Prefecture of Heraklion for her overall contribution to Art.