Born in Tbilisi (Georgia), she studied set design at Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, graduated in 1996.
In 2002, she continued her studies at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts, where she specialized in virtual scenography.
In Georgia, she designed many performances of various genres – from drama and music shows to opera and ballet. She has collaborated with the Tbilisi State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, Marjanishvili State Academic Drama Theatre, Tbilisi Music and Drama State Theatre, Tbilisi State Conservatoire, etc.. She participated in more than 30 art exhibitions in Georgia and Europe.
In 1996 she won the Golden Mask award of the Rustavi International Theatre Festival (Georgia). Since 1998, she has been Founder and Board Member of the Union of Young Theater Artists – OISTAT National Center of Georgia. From 1998 -2001 she taught set design at the Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University.
Since 2002 she lives and works in Milan (Italy). Among her most successful production is «Oreste e la tartuca» by Francesco Traversi performed at the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini of Florence as part of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (2002). She was awarded the Golden Medal for the Best Multimedia Works as part of the 20th edition of Premio Firenze organized by the Centro Culturale Firenze Europa Mario Conti. From 2003-2005 she gave master classes in virtual scenography at Teatro alla Scala Academy in Milan.
Manana Gunia constantly cooperates with the artistic circles of Georgia and contributes to the promotion of the Georgian culture abroad.
From 2003 and up to now she has been designer of the Georgian Student and National pavilions at the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space – PQ07, PQ11, PQ015 and PQ19 (Czech Republic). Since 2016 she is a Designer of Tbilisi Biennial of Stage Design (Tbilisi, Georgia).
In 2018 Manana began her collaboration with Astana Opera House, where she was designing the sets and costumes for Rossini’s «La Scala di Seta», Donizetti’s «Don Pasquale».
