His birth name was Isabelo Veloso Abueva. He was born on the Philippine Island of Bohol, Tagbilaran. The first time he worked with clay was back when he was attending school, he sculpted the clay into a Carabao. In his middle childhood days, he studied at St. Joseph Academy in Bohol. Napoleon attended High School at Rafael Palma College (now known as University of Bohol). 

After that Abueva became a Pura Villanueva-Kalaw scholar in 1950 when he enrolled at UP School of Fine Arts (now known as UP College of Fine Arts). Abueva was mentored by a National Artist Guillermo Tolentino.

During the time he was still studying, Abueva was already winning competitions in the Art Association of the Philippines. In 1951, he won the first prize in the AAP-semi Annual Competition. In 1952, he achieved the top prize in the AAP Annual Competition. He enrolled in the Cranbrook Academy of Art's Master of Fine Arts program in 1955. The following year, 1956, he enrolled in Summer Studies at Harvard University. 

Unfortunately, on December 31, 2017, Abueva was admitted to the National Kidney Transplant Institute due to his Pneumonia. He then passed away on February 16, 2018.