Draft:Cecile Elstein

• Comment: This draft is virtually unreferenced. What might seem an exception at first glance is the sentence
  Trained at [[Hornsey College of Art]] and a studio pupil of Surrealist artist [https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/catherine-yarrow-17410 Catherine Yarrow], Elstein was also deeply influenced by philosophical and literary thought, particularly Martin Buber’s ''I and Thou''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ravenscroft |first=Simon |title=An analysis of Martin Buber's I and thou |date=2018 |publisher=Macat International Ltd |isbn=978-1-912453-61-0 |series=The Macat library |location=London}}</ref> and Albert Camus’s ''The Myth of Sisyphus''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Camus |first=Albert |title=The myth of Sisyphus |last2=Camus |first2=Albert |date=2005 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-14-102399-1 |series=Great ideas |location=London}}</ref>
  The link for Yarrow doesn't mention Elstein. (What makes it worse is that (i) the linked-to page merely recycles material from Wikipedia; (ii) even if the linked-to page did describe the relationship between the two artists, the placement of the link would be wrong.) The reference following the Camus title is merely to an edition of his book, which will say nothing about Elstein. I can't be bothered to search for a copy of An analysis of Martin Buber's I and thou and then to look through its index, but somehow I have trouble imagining that it talks about Elstein.
  Every assertion must be referenced, to a reliable source. Hoary (talk) 22:55, 6 May 2025 (UTC)

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Cecile Elstein (1938–2025)

Cecile Elstein working in her Didsbury studio.

Sculptor, Printmaker, Environmental Artist

Cecile Elstein (née Hoberman) was a South African-born British artist whose career spanned over six decades, encompassing 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, the couple settled in Manchester in 1977, where Cecile would become an influential presence in the city’s artistic and cultural life.

From 1974 to 1977, she studied sculpture and printmaking. Elstein’s work was shaped by philosophical and literary influences - these existential and dialogic frameworks informed both her art and her approach to life. 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 prints and sculptures are held in numerous public and private collections in the UK and abroad, including the Whitworth Art Gallery, and the University of Salford Art Collection.

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 2021, 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.

Elstein continued to work from her home studio later in life, returning to smaller-scale works that reflected her enduring interest in form, light, and relationality. She died on 2 March 2025, aged 86. She was predeceased by her son Paul in 1998 and is survived by her husband Max, daughter Maureen, three grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Awards

• 1983–1985 – Worked with the Manchester Art and Technology Workshop, winning an Arts Council Bursary Award for a design for a pneumatic structure – Mandarah with Terry Scales. Exhibited at Singapore Festival of Arts 1986, representing Britain.
• 1986 – ‘Noon Meeting’ screenprint, Prize Winner at 9th British International Print Biennale, Sericol Colour Prize, Cartwright Hall, Lister Park, Bradford

Publications and Mentions

• 1988 - Arts Review, 21st October, p272
• 1995 - John Garfield, ‘Impressions II’ ‘Another Pygmalion’ - experience of having a portrait made by Elstein p70-p72
• Hyde, S., 1997. Exhibiting Gender. Manchester: Manchester University Press, pp.31, 81–83.
• 2004 - 2005 - Manchester Memoirs, Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, Vol 143, p66 -p71
• Rose, J. and Levy, W.J., 2006. A colourful canvas. pp.6–19.
• 2011 - Hedwig Brenner, ‘Judische Frauen in der bildenden Kunst IV’, p49-p50