Rama Varma was artist Raja Ravi Varma's second son. He was born in 1879. He inherited his father's artistic talent and worked in oil on canvas and painted portraits.
He studied at Sir J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai and later came back to Kerala to start the Raja Ravi Varma School of Painting.
Rama Varma became the first chairman of the Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy in 1962.