Malvika Raj was born in Patna, Bihar, on September 18, 1993. From a young age, she possessed a flair for the creative arts, especially dancing and painting. However, when an injury prevented her from pursuing her passion, a classical Indian dance form called Bharatnatyam, she redirected her creative energy to the practice of Madhubani art. Her knack for the art form earned her a spot in the Northern Indian Institute of Fashion Technology, where she graduated with a degree in fashion design. 

During a research trip she took to Jitwarpur, Bihar (the home of numerous award-winning Madhubani artists), Malvika Raj developed an affinity with the local Madhubani artists of the region, and honed her skills alongside those talented women. However, since she was Buddhist, she struggled to identify with the Hindu deities which Madhubani typically portrayed, and longed to use her art to convey the experiences which were true to her. She began to use her artwork to render both paintings of Buddha, a rare figure in Madhubani art, and the struggles she faced in her everyday life as a Dalit woman. She pioneered the expression of these concepts in Madhubani, and used her paintings as a medium for social change and representation of the hardships faced by the oppressed people of her community.

Although she has not received many formal awards, her widespread presence in both Indian and international art galleries render her impact on Madhubani art indelible. Her paintings can be found in venues from the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai to Edinburgh University in Scotland. She is also an illustrator, with her paintings featured in picture books and in social activism publications.