David Manley

I am an artist, writer and curator with many years experience of contemporary art production, curation and writing. My practice and research falls into two distinct though interrelated activities - original artworks and commentaries on contemporary work.  Currently my principal projects are; Hortus Fabulus, a meditation on Gardens in various locations, using both old fashioned oil on canvas, and more recently recycled materials as the support and The Heart Of Rural England a long running project to make portraits for rather than of every village in Leicestershire!

I am a member of the Contemporary British Painting group and have shown in most of their recent major group exhibitions including China & Poland.  Over the past few years I have had a work in Paradoxes at the Quay Arts Centre, Newport IOW, 'Stand Close And Breathe Me In Oceans Apart Salford, Vitalistic Fantasies at the Elysium Gallery, Swansea, Paint Edgy at the Ropewalk, Barton Upon Humber and Slow Painting in Barnstable. Earlier in 2025 I was included in both Landscape In Our Time Wireworks Project, Ambergate and Perennial, Haarlem Artspace, Wirksworth

Following a career in Arts Admin & Education I'm almost exclusively focussed on making work other than maintaining an online presence and supporting Brisons Veor, the professional creatives retreat on Cape Cornwall.