Mané-Katz born as Emmanuel Mané Leyzerovich-Katz in Kremenchug in Ukraine on 1894.

He was an Expressionist painter known for his scenes of Jewish life in the shtetls of Eastern Europe. Studied at the Kiev School of Fine Arts, and then moved to France at 19, where he befriended artists such as Pablo Picasso, and became associated with the School of Paris. After studying at the École des Beaux-Arts, he briefly returned to Russia, and later exhibited a Cubist work in St. Petersburg. 
Initially, his style was classical and somber, but, over time, his palette changed to include bright, bold colors.

Mane-Katz left his paintings and extensive personal collection of Jewish ethnography to the city of Haifa, Israel. Four years before his death, the mayor of Haifa, Abba Hushi, provided him with a building on Mt. Carmel to house his work, which became the Mane-Katz Museum.