Manish Nai, born in 1980, received a Diploma in Drawing and Painting from L.S. Raheja School of Art, Mumbai. Using modest, quintessentially Indian materials like jute and newspaper, his works transform tedious complexities into tightly organized forms. His deep understanding of these materials stems from childhood experiences with his father, a trader of jute and packing materials.

Nai has exhibited at Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi (2019); Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai (2017, 2019); Para Site, Hong Kong (2018); and Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw (2018). His solo shows include Richard Taittinger Gallery, New York (2021); Kavi Gupta, Chicago (2019); and Galerie Karsten Greve, Paris (2019). In 2017, Fondation Fernet Branca held a comprehensive exhibition of his work in France, later traveling to The Netherlands. Nai has also participated in the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2014) and Shanghai Biennale (2012).