Born in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Badri Narayan began his career in the late forties working with ceramic tiles and mosaics. He later moved to using ink, pastel and watercolour as his primary mediums. Coming of age around Independence, painter, writer, storyteller and art teacher, Narayan has interpreted ancient and medieval traditions through his paintings, illustrations, stories and workshops.

Narayan has had over fifty national and international shows and his works are part of several permanent collections, including the National Gallery of Modern Art and National Museum in New Delhi. A prolific writer, he has written on art, folklore, mythology; short stories, verse and tales for children and illustrated books.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1987 and the Maharashtra Gaurav Puruskar in 1990.