Nikolai Nikolayevich Khokryakov was born on November 4, 1857, in Vyatka, now known as Kirov, into a family of modest merchants. From 1880 to 1882, he studied for free under Shishkin in St. Petersburg, focusing on drawing and etching. Apollinary Vasnetsov, who met Khokryakov in Vyatka while visiting with his brother, noted his talent and decided to help the young man become a professional artist by showing his works to Shishkin. Influenced by his studies with Shishkin, Khokryakov began to actively use photography in his paintings. In 1882, he was forced to return to his hometown due to financial difficulties, during which time he seriously engaged in painting.

In 1884, his painting "The Evictions" was presented at the exhibition of the Society of Traveling Art Exhibitions, and in 1886, his landscape "Overcast Day" was shown there as well. The sale of several paintings helped him improve his financial situation and allowed him to travel abroad in 1893. Khokryakov participated in the Society's activities until 1918, presenting his works at five exhibitions. From the 1910s, he began to paint not only landscapes but also interior views. From 1918 to 1928, Khokryakov served as the director of the Vyatka Art and Historical Museum, becoming one of its founders. During the Soviet period, he created very few new canvases but continued to participate in exhibitions in Vyatka and Moscow.

Khokryakov's works are now exhibited in the State Tretyakov Gallery and the Ramenskoye Historical and Art Museum. In 1998, a house-museum dedicated to N. N. Khokryakov was opened in Kirov at 4 Kopansky Lane. In January 2008, at a meeting of the city club "Vyatka Book Lovers" named after E. D. Petryaev in Kirov, a book titled "Life Story at the Dawn of the Century" was presented, dedicated to Khokryakov's life and work.