Armik Malekian was born in 1951 in Southern California to Armenian immigrants. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in fine art and graphic design from the University of Decorative Arts in Tehran. After graduating, he settled with his family in California where he earned an additional master's degree. He was later discovered by a Brazilian TV network and went to work as a creative art director in Rio de Janeiro. His art shows the influence of artists like Monet, Sargent, and George Inness.