Nareen Nath was born in Yeotmal, Maharashtra in 1937. He studied at Indore School of Fine Arts, Indore after which he received a Diploma in Painting from Sir J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai in 1960. He was honoured with a National Award in 1989 at the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, and the Sikhar Sanman in 1999 by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Nath was a member, Managing Committee of Lalit Kala Studios, New Delhi, 1986; Member, Advisory Committee, Roopankar Museum and Bharat Bhawan Bhopal; Director, LKA Studios, Garhi, New Delhi, 1990 – 94. His works are part of many private and public collections in India and abroad including Lalit Kala Akademi, National Gallery of Modern Art, Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation, Punjab University Museum, Ford Foundation and Rockfeller Foundation.