Henn Roode (1924–1974) was born in Tallinn, his father was an engineer and mother was a doctor. Between 1944 and 1947, he studied at National Art Institute of Tartu under the supervision of Ado Vabbe and Elmar Kits. He also did a semester at Tallinn State Applied Art Institute in 1947.

In November 1949, the young man was arrested in Tartu on an account of false accusations. Several of his artist friends were arrested as well: Esther Potisepp (maiden name: Raudsepp; the artist's future wife), Lembit Saarts, Ülo Sooster, Valdur Ohakas and Heldur Viires. All of them were convicted by the Soviet Union and sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment at a labor camp. Roode was sent to Karaganda oblast. In 1956, he was let go and got rehabilitated. The artist returned to Estonia, continued his studies at State Art Institute of the Estonian SSR (1956–1959) and made his exhibition debut.

In 1964, Henn Roode became a member of Artists Association of the Estonian SSR. He worked mainly as a freelancer as well as a lecturer at Tallinn Pedagogical University.