Makis Palantzas was born on 15 April 1964 in Athens, Greece.
Growing up in Athens his life came under the spell of the "Prima" yachts yard of his father (1970-1983), and there he came into direct contact with the raw materials of shipbuilding. It was then that he began to create artworks with these materials. After he completed his studies in 1983, he began making trips around the Mediterranean Sea, offering his services as captain of sailboats, while creating in his spare time artworks of shipbuilding materials. In the period 1988-2000 he lived in Vienna dealing with boats and working as an artist. In the period 2000-2003 he lived in Cologne, offering therapeutic art education for children from troubled families.
Currently Makis Palantzas lives and works in Athens.