Narayan Lakshman is a Chennai-based abstract expressionist painter whose practice explores silence, stillness, and the interconnections between light, energy, and form. A self-taught artist, Narayan began painting in his early 40s, drawing inspiration from years of looking at art in galleries and museums worldwide. His works are influenced by V.S. Gaitonde, J.M.W. Turner, Gerhard Richter, Claude Monet, and Laxman Shrestha.

His debut solo exhibition, The Zen of Art (CP Art Centre, Chennai, 2024), introduced audiences in his hometown to his contemplative style. He has participated in group shows including Whispers between Worlds (iArt Gallery, Bengaluru, 2025), Summer Art Market (Method Gallery and Baro Art, Delhi 2025), Mapping Memories (Madras Art Weekend, 2025), Madras as an Emotion (Madras Art Weekend, 2024), and Value Beyond 2.0 (Gallery Veda, Chennai, 2022). A rare work of sculpture by him, in pink Makrana marble, featured in The Forces of Imagination show (Chawla Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre, 2024). His works are non-exclusively represented by Method (Mumbai), iArt Gallery (Bengaluru), and Gallery Veda (Chennai).

Beyond painting, Narayan is a Senior Associate Editor at The Hindu newspaper and a director of The Hindu Group. He and his wife are passionate art collectors, and have over two decades built a modest but evocative collection of abstract expressionist works by Indian artists, which adorns the walls of their Chennai home. In 2020, Narayan and his children co-founded Garage Magic Studios, which donates part of the proceeds of his art to supporting the education of the girl child in India.