Sathyendran was born in 1953 in Madras, to Nambiar parents of Malabar, Kerala. On completion of schooling from Madras Christian College High School, he joined the College of Arts and Crafts and completed the five year course of Diploma in Fine Arts, in 1974, obtaining a First Class.

Though he wanted to study pure Painting, he was forced by the environment to take up Commercial Art, when the time for specialistion came. Earning some income was of primary importance. Out of disgust and in protest he refused to use the instruments to be used in commercial art, only depending on his free hand skills, in the final exam and yet scored a First Class.

After graduation, Sathyendran worked for some advertising agencies and also as a freelancer for ITC. By then he started showing signs of mental illness. After being through various private psychiatrists in the city, he came under the care of SCARF(I), a research institute for schizophrenia, in Chennai, in 1991. From then on he is under their close care. Though he has improved a lot, he is still under their treatment. Painting is his life-line. Scarf has been awesome in their encouragement towards this passion of Sathyendran. As an expression of gratitude, he has donated quite a few of his favourite paintings to Scarf.