Raised in Tunis, Nadia Ayari lives and works in New York. Her distinctive paintings are characterised by a striking balance between abstraction and narration. Generally Ayari produces series of works which focus on a select number of repeated objects like the flower, branch and leaf which are inspired by her native landscape. These forms become characters in her paintings, taking on the contours of human disembodiment, or another shape isolated from nature. Her compositions tackle narratives of survival while the thick, methodically applied oil-paint give the protagonists and the plastic space they inhabit substantial skin, making them physically relatable.

Ayari moved to the U.S. in 2000 and received a B.A. in art history from Boston University, an M.F.A. in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design, and a certificate of fine arts from Brandeis University. She began exhibiting her work in 2008, and has participated in numerous international shows and biennales, including the U.S. pavilion at the 12th Cairo International Biennale and the 3rd Thessaloniki Biennale.