Sculptor and letter-cutter, he was born in Buckingham into a family of artists. Son of R.M. Manby an architect who was descended from West Derbyshire farming stock, and Judith Da Fano, a distinguished Lake District artist. Grandson of Dorothea Landau, late Pre-Raphaelite painter. Simon was brought up in the north of England and educated in Scotland. He studied sculpture at Edinburgh College of Art under Eric Schilsky 1960-66. Taught sculpture at Stoke College of Art, leaving in 1972 to work as a freelance artist.

Early figurative work in clay gradually gave way to more formal expression through larger scale carving in wood and stone, some approaching, or entirely abstract. Simon’s sculpture is now predominantly cast in bronze or sometimes iron. At present his work is entirely committed to the figure. Recent sculpture is lighter and joyous in spirit.

In 1994 he became an elected member of the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts and also received the McGrigor Donald Sculpture Award at the Royal Scottish Academy. His work has been widely exhibited in the UK and abroad, commissioned and collected by many distinguished patrons.

Solo Exhibitions:

2007 Lichfield Cathedral, Lichfield Arts Festival
2006 Abbotsholme School, Derbyshire
2005 Borough Museum & Art Gallery, Newcastle-under-Lyme.
2005 Thompson’s Gallery, Marylebone, London.
2004 Espace Molière, Agde, France.
2003 Hourglass Gallery, Hebden Bridge
2003 Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
2002 Sheridan-Russell Gallery, London.
2000 Borough Museum and Art Gallery, Newcastle-under-Lyme.
1999 & 2002 Lichfield Cathedral, Lichfield International Arts Festival.
1995 Abbotsholme School, Derbyshire.
1993 Brantwood, Lakeland home of John Ruskin.
1982 &1983 Royal Agricultural Show, Stoneleigh.