Samy Charnine was born in Nice on the French Riviera, Samy Charnine immigrated to the United States in 1983. He lives a secluded life and is very devoted to his art. He grinds his own paint from historical pigments using recipes and techniques dating from the Renaissance. He is highly demanding on himself and destroys many of his paintings, sometimes years of work, if the result doesn't meet his standards and expectations.