Malva was born in Syria in 1951.  He studied at the University of the Fine Arts in Beirut and at various universities in Europe.

Malva taught at the University of the Fine Arts in Damascus.  He was also a painter at the Ministry of Education, as well as an art critic and art director for the magazine AL FURSAN.  In 1978, he became an Austrian citizen.  That same year, he graduated from the University of Stattsburger with his Masters degree.

Malva has achieved about 23 one-man shows in Syria, Lebanon, Austria, and the United States.  He has also participated in group shows in Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Moscow, Rumania, Spain, and Syria.

The Association of Fine Arts in Syria published a book about his work, and more recently Galerie Otto in Austria published a catalogue raisonee of Malva's work.  Several magazines and journals have written feature articles about him, among them:  ALSYAD, ALMASSAS, AND ALSHARK in Beirut and Albaeth, ALFURSAN & ALTALA in Syria, ALRAIE in Jordan, and AL ANBAS in Israel.