Manuel John Neri Jr. (April 12, 1930 – October 18, 2021) was an American sculptor who is recognized for his life-size figurative sculptures in plaster, bronze, and marble.

Manuel John Neri Jr. was born on April 12, 1930, in Sanger, California, to immigrant parents from Jalisco[1] who left Mexico during political unrest following the Mexican Revolution.

He began to create life-sized figurative sculptures in plaster and mixed media, their surfaces often painted to accentuate the forms and gestures.

[6] Neri created figurative sculptures in plaster, marble, bronze, and clay, their surfaces often sanded, chipped, or painted as a means of directing the gestural thrust.

[8] Neri's early works included paintings and mixed-media sculptures based on abstracted figurative or architectural forms.

Manuel Neri had several marriages; he was the second husband of painter Joan Brown from 1962 to 1966 (though their relationship and artistic collaboration dated back several years prior to that).

[13] He has seven children: Raoul, Laticia, Noel (his son by Joan Brown),[14] Max, Ruby, Julia, and Gus.