Born in Athens in 1939, Yannis P. Valavanidis studied painting, printmaking, and mosaic at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1957–1963). He held twelve solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, while also being a member of important artistic groups (such as Group Art A, Young Greek Realists, among others). He taught at the Athens School of Fine Arts from 1982 to 2006 and served as Vice-Rector from 2001 to 2004, while from 2007 he held the title of Professor Emeritus.

At the same time, for approximately three decades he designed book covers, approaching them as a creative interpretation of the books’ content. His writings on art have been published in a large number of newspapers and magazines. He passed away on February 18, 2017.