about
cecile elstein (1938–2025)
Sculptor, Printmaker, Environmental Artist
Cecile Elstein (née Hoberman) was a South African-born British artist whose six-decade career encompassed sculpture, printmaking, drawing, and environmental installation. Born in Cape Town in 1938, she moved to England in 1961 with her husband, Max Elstein (later Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Manchester), seeking to leave behind the apartheid regime. After living in London and Southampton during the 1960s and 70s, they settled in Manchester in 1977, where Cecile became an influential presence in the city’s artistic and cultural life.
In 1965, she met surrealist painter-potter Catherine Yarrow and became her private pupil, studying ceramics until 1969. From 1974 to 1977, she studied sculpture and printmaking at West Surrey College of Art. Elstein’s work was shaped by philosophical and literary influences, particularly Martin Buber’s I and Thou and Albert Camus’s The Myth of Sisyphus, which informed her deep engagement with ideas of dialogue, existential reflection, and the creative process. Her practice explored the dynamics of relationship, between self and other, artist and material, human and environment. Themes of displacement, belonging, and transformation were woven through her work, grounded in a strong sense of place and shaped by her migration from South Africa. Spiritual inquiry and collaboration were central to her approach, resulting in a body of work that bridges personal experience, philosophical thought, and public engagement.
Elstein collaborated closely with master printmaker Kip Gresham for over three decades, from the Manchester Print Workshop in the 1980s through to his Cambridge studio in 2019. Her work is held in public and private collections in the UK and abroad. She was a prizewinner at the 9th British International Print Biennale in Bradford and represented Britain at the Singapore Festival of Arts.
Notable public works include Ner Tamid (Everlasting Light) at Menorah Synagogue in Gatley; a bronze portrait of music critic Michael Kennedy at the Royal Northern College of Music; and a collaborative sundial in Marie Louise Gardens, Didsbury (with artist Tam Giles)
Cecile was also an active community facilitator. From 2001 to 2020, she co-led Didsbury Drawing, a weekly life-drawing group guided by the philosophy of non-interference, alongside textile artist Margaret Crowther. A longtime member of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society (Lit & Phil), Cecile and Max joined in 1994, with Max later serving as a vice-president.
In her later years, Elstein continued to work from her home studio, returning to smaller-scale works that reflected her enduring interest in form, light, and relationality. She passed away peacefully in 2025.