Nikos Gavriil Petzikis was born in Thessaloniki. He studied applied optics in Paris and then pharmaceutics in Strasbourg. His sister was the poet Zoe Karelli.

In 1933, he visited Mount Athos, a place he returned for another 93 times until his death. It was there where he first started painting.

He made his first literature appearance in 1935 with the poem 'Η γυναίκα που προπονείται στο κολύμπημα'. He was a founding member of 'Κοχλίας' magazine and collaborated with 'Μακεδονικές Ημέρες', 'Μορφές', and 'Διαγώνιος'.

Petzikis published novels and prose using contemporary narrative styles and translated avant-garde writers. He belongs to a group of writers known as the ‘Thessaloniki School' and was also known for his in-depth study of the Byzantine tradition.

From 1944, onwards he presented his paintings in several solo and group exhibitions.

Petzikis was elected an honorary Professor of the Philosophical School, the Aristotle University, Thessalonica in 1988.

He was awarded several prestigious prizes such as the Palmes Academiques in 1951, the First Novel Prize of the Greek state in 1984, the Greek Ministry of Culture Award in 1987 and the Herder Prize, Vienna in 1989.