September 16, 2026 — Mary Ann Manuel’s work is recognizable for its bold colour, emotional energy, and imaginative visual language. Her paintings invite viewers into spaces that feel both personal and open-ended, where memory, feeling, and hope come alive on the canvas.
Manuel’s story is one of courage, perseverance, and hard work. She first studied midwifery in the Philippines before pursuing graphic design. Painting eventually became her way of expressing herself. She began painting in 2016 while working in Singapore. Manuel completed a certificate program in art mastery at the Milan Art Institute. In 2018, she moved to Canada, and after years apart, her daughter joined her.
On August 29, 2026, Mary Ann Manuel introduced MANNM, her new clothing line, at an event in Surrey. Photo by GSB Creative.
Over the past several years, Manuel has developed a creative practice defined by curiosity, discipline, and a desire to communicate through colour and form. Her work spans painting, illustration, graphic design, and, more recently, wearable design. This range reflects an artist interested in how visual ideas can live not only on canvas but also in objects and clothing.
Every artist sees the world differently, and Manuel’s perspective is among her greatest strengths. Her paintings do more than reproduce what is visible; they interpret experience. A scene, figure, or idea becomes a starting point for something more expressive.
Her use of vivid colour gives her work an immediate presence. At the same time, her imaginative compositions invite viewers to look beyond the surface and consider the story behind each painting. What experience, memory, or feeling has been transformed into the image before us?
There is a sense of optimism in much of Manuel’s work, but it is neither simple nor merely decorative. Her paintings often suggest that happiness, identity, and beauty must be pursued, discovered, and continually reimagined. This theme is especially evident in her award-winning painting Pursuit of Happiness, which won first prize in the Milan Art Institute’s 2021 competition.
That recognition affirmed what many viewers already see in Manuel’s work: her ability to translate emotion into a compelling visual experience. Her paintings are expressive without providing all the answers. Instead, they leave room for interpretation, inviting viewers to bring their own memories and responses to the work.
On August 29, Manuel introduced MANNM, her new clothing line, at an event at the Clubhouse in Surrey. The event featured a fashion show in which teenagers and young adults wore Manuel’s designs. An exhibition of her artwork was presented alongside the show, creating a dialogue between the paintings on display and the visual ideas expressed in her clothing.
Manuel also designed the cover and completed the interior layout of the children’s book The Horse Soldier: A Wartime Secret, which was displayed alongside her paintings. The book offered another example of her ability to integrate image, design, and narrative.
Rather than separating fashion from art, MANNM suggests a new direction for Manuel’s evolving practice. The clothing line offers her an opportunity to explore how colour, design, and individuality can extend beyond the framed canvas and into everyday life. The young models brought fresh energy to the presentation, reflecting the line’s connection to self-expression and to a new generation of creative voices.
Manuel has exhibited internationally in New York, Venice, Berlin, Dubai, Switzerland, Strasbourg, and Canada. She has exhibited numerous times with the Dimasalang III International Artist Group. Manuel’s painting, Fairytales, was accepted into the Federation of Canadian Artists’ 2025 Limitless show, a juried exhibition.
Yet the value of her practice is not measured solely by the places where her work has been shown. It is also evident in the care she brings to each project and in her commitment to the artistic community.
As an active member of the Dimasalang Artists Group, Manuel has participated in plein air events and shared her experience through art workshops. She is helping create an environment where emerging artists can learn, experiment, and build confidence. She is also a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and the Milan Art Club.
Manuel’s journey, from studying midwifery and graphic design to discovering painting as her primary means of expression, has shaped an artistic practice grounded in personal experience. Whether in a painting, an illustration, a book design, or a garment, her work remains rooted in the same impulse: to tell stories through colour, imagination, and feeling. This continuity ties together the different parts of her practice and gives her work a distinctive voice.
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