Manjit Bawa was born in Dhuri, Punjab in 1941. He completed his education in art from the College of Art in 1958.
He exhibited his work in solo shows and group exhibitions in different cities across the world, including New Delhi, Hong Kong, Kolkata, London, New York, Bhopal, Singapore.
He was honoured with the Sailoz Prize in 1963. In 1980, he received the Lalit Kala Akademi Award. In 2000, he won the Dayawati Modi Annual Award.