Dee Manning explores portraiture and figurative art with her new collection, her creative body of work shifts in an exciting new direction. With her forthcoming collection titled ‘Pain, Tears & Power - Out of my pain came beauty’.

 

Many who know Dee are well aware of her car accident in 2013, which not only caused severe injuries but also triggered a negative effect mentally. Dee states

​

'Immersing myself in art has helped me rebuild my confidence and character also refocusing on life as I enter the second chapter, my fifties'.

​

Pieces such as ‘Pain’ reflect the last few years of her artistic journey while things appeared to be good on the outside. She states internally there was a stark contrast   -

​

'I was screaming on the inside battling the pain and still trying to establish myself as an artist'.

​

Shifting the spot light in a different direction she wanted to celebrate the beauty of black women and self worth.  -

​

‘As an artist we find inspiration around us in everything from nature to architecture and of course in other art. I felt there was a huge hole when it came to black women being represented. The absence is felt from the gallery walls, to behind the camera the list could go on and on, when the younger generation see black women represented in art, photography or film it must be inspirational and uplifting, not negative depictions that throw up mental hurdles and insecurities.

Through my work in this collection I also wanted to convey black beauty, the new wave of self love and appreciation. Working in the hair industry through the nineties into the new millennium, I was constantly being asked for hair to made to look European so it was to be relaxed or see the addition of weave to give it the so called desirable look. However now women are embracing natural hair more than ever embracing their true beauty and rocking it with grace, it was important for me to convey this in my body of work’