Born in Maesycwmmer, Mid Glamorgan, Chris Griffin graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1975. He is a member of the Watercolour Society of Wales, and the Old Library Artists, in Cardiff.

His paintings are concerned with the formal qualities of their subject matter, and how they relate to the shallow space of the picture plane. His subject matter has remained consistent for a number of years, featuring mostly the urban and rural landscape of the South Wales valleys. Often, using rich and emotional colour, the paintings develop into lyrical expressions of the landscape. Latterly, his work has included a number of still life paintings and his landscapes have extended further afield, principally the Picos Europas mountains of Northern Spain.