In this series Manning pushes the boundaries of portraiture, experimenting by using only the hands of her subjects.
Hands are an extremely expressive part of the body and can express much about a person and their life through both their physical characteristics and gestures. A ceramicist's hand places the last mosaic, a mother-to-be cups her belly, an elderly lady's hands rest clasped in her lap while a man's tattooed, worn and maimed hands are spread out face down on the table.

The ‘Hands Series’ was first exhibited at fortyfivedownstairs, VIC, then Coffs Harbour Gallery, NSW and in the retrospective ‘Selected Works’ at Moonah Art Centre, TAS.