Parinaz Eleish was born in Tehran to an Iranian mother (historian/publisher) and an Egyptian father (economist). She grew up in Tehran until high school and finished her diploma in Switzerland before coming to the US for her higher education. Eleish recieved a BFA in Film Production and Painting from Emerson College and the Museum of Fine Arts in 1981. She holds two MFAs: one in Film Production from Boston University and one in English Writing and Poetry from the University of New Hampshire. 

After graduation, Eleish worked in various areas of film production at different independent Boston film production companies. For five years she held the position of film and media coordinator at the French Library and Cultural Center, now merged with the Alliance Francaise in Boston. In 1993 Eleish moved to back to Tehran where she had her own painting company Samarkand a Faux Real co., which specialized in faux finish painting. Eleish returned to the US after three years and started Damascus Dreams, a one man hand crafted jewelry design company specializing in work with ancient beads, before she began painting full-time. 

Eleish has published poetry in English and recently published a novel in farsi which is available in print and audio on Amazon, iTunes and related book stores as well as in Iran.
Eleish and her husband Yahya Gharagozlou and live most of the time in Boston, and part time Tehran. She has two daughters Leila and Homa. Her studio is located in Brighton MA.