Rallis Kopsidis was born on the Island of Limnos.

In 1949 he enrolled at the School of Fine Art, Athens. However, he abandoned his studies in the fourth year and continued studying under Fotis Kontoglou, between 1953 and 1959, who he later collaborated with in executing church frescos.

The first stage of his work is influenced by the teachings of his teacher Fotis Kontoglou; Up to around 1975, we can witness byzantine, post-byzantine and folk-art influences. During this period, he develops a naïve painting language, anthropocentric with his subject matter being the working-class people and their customs. After 1975, his subject matter and painting technique are changing direction, and he develops a freer personal style.

He worked on an essential number of church fresco commissions in Greece but also abroad, such as the Monastery of Chevetrogne in Belgium and the church of the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambesy in Geneva.

Kopsidis’ literary work is equally important. He has written, illustrated and engraved a large number of literary books such as Σταυροί στην Αθήνα (1963), Προσκυνητάρι της Αίγινας (1965), 15 Ξυλογραφίες για το Άγιον Όρος (1968). Κάστρο ηλιόκαστρο (1980) and Το τετράδιο του γυρισμού (1987) are based on his childhood memories of the 1930s and 1940s from his birthplace, the island of Limnos.

His work can be found in many public and private collections in Greece and abroad, notably at: The National Gallery of Greece, the Athens Municipality Collection, the Thessaloniki Municipality Collection, the Teloglion Fine Arts Foundation and the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation.