Bradley attended St Paul's School through the generosity of a private beneficiary. At fourteen he ran away to sea and served as a cabin boy on the Central and South American run. It was at this time Bradley started to paint. In 1954 he held his first solo exhibition at Gimpel Fils, followed by exhibitions at Gallery One and Redfern in London. In Paris, Rudolphe Augustinci at Rive Gauche Gallery regularly showed his work during the early 1960's.
By 1962 Bradley was tiring of the art scene and decided to rethink his career. He travelled to the Far East and for a time he served in the Spanish Foreign Legion. During this period he learned ten different languages including Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan. He also converted to Buddhism.
His work is in many national and International collections, including; the Tate, London and Museum of Modern Art, New York. Notable British collectors include Sir Roland Penrose, Sir Herbert Read and Dame Barbara Hepworth.