Manessi’s work lies within the tradition of maiolica, a rewarding and unforgiving art form and celebrates this rich historical medium through diverse influences ranging from the Italian Istoriato dishes to the simplicity of humble folk wares.

Drawing upon experiences of viewing subjects in churches, museums and galleries and observations directly from life, the work is inspired by portraits and animals depicted by Renaissance painters such as Pisanello and Gentile di Fabriano, German masters like Lucas Cranach, English artists Edwin Landseer, George Stubbs and Christopher Wood, the Fauvist work of Maurice Dennis and Franz Marc, Symbolist painters like the Austrian Gustav Klimt and extending to contemporary artists, writers and poets.