Krishnamachari was born in 1963 in the village of Mangattukara, near Angamaly, Kerala. He attended the Government Higher Secondary School in Puliyanam, before going on to complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai in 1991, and a Master of Fine Arts from Goldsmiths' College, University of London in 2000.

Bose is a founder member and President of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. He has lived and worked in Mumbai since 1985.

• 1985 Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Award
• 1993 British Council Travel Award
• 1996 Mid-America Arts Alliance Award for Travel and Residency in the United States
• 1999–2000 Charles Wallace India Trust Award
• 2001 First runner up for the Bose Pacia Prize for Modern Art, New York
• 2009 Guest of Honor at ARCO, Madrid, and curated the India Pavilion
• 2023 Included by Art Review magazine in a list of the world's most influential personalities in the field of art.^[1]

• Doshi, Riddhi (25 March 2017). "Meet the Big Boss of India's art scene". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
• Ghosh, Ananya (11 February 2020). "Bose Krishnamachari – creator or curator?". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
• Roy, Vaishna (8 February 2020). "Bose Krishnamachari's first solo in nine years makes words play the role of images". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
• Kalra, Vandana (19 January 2020). "'As an artist, it's important to have conversations', says Artist Bose Krishnamachari". The Indian Express. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
• Nair, Nandini (10 January 2020). "Bose Krishnamachari: Through a Mirror Darkly". Open magazine. Retrieved 15 January 2024.

• Bose Krishnamachari's website
• Bose krishnamachari @ gallerysoulflower.com/
• TED Talk by Bose krishnamachari (TEDxTKMCE)