Born in Caracas, Navarro attended the Academia de Bellas Artes and the Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Aplicadas, where he received his artistic training. In 1941, he submitted his work to the Salón Oficial and continued to do so for the next few years, receiving acclaim for his paintings and prints.

In 1945, he moved to Macuto and lived close to painter Armando Reverón, who greatly influenced him during this time. In 1947, he was in a show with artist Mateo Manaure at the Museo de Bellas Artes in Caracas and received an award and a scholarship to study in Paris.

While in Paris, he joined Los Disidentes, a group of Venezuelan artists who rejected the traditional artistic education received in their home country, along w...