Giles Penny is a contemporary British sculptor, painter and printmaker celebrated for his minimalist, witty and distinctive depictions of the human form. Penny worked as a stage designer and animator before establishing himself in fine art. In the late 1980s, Penny completed high-profile portrait commissions for corporate figures including Richard Branson and Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop. Following this, he was appointed artist-in-residence at The Body Shop’s international headquarters, producing a series of iconic, stylized figures for the campus. Influenced by Italian sculptor Giacomo Manzù (1908-1991), Penny's work shuns anatomical realism in favour of simplified, allegorical human figures that act as vehicles for self-expression, capturing universal emotions with an innocent and humorous touch. Elected an Academician of the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) in 2017, his large-scale bronze and steel works are prominent fixtures of the UK's public art landscape, with famous installations on display in locations such as London's Canary Wharf and Golden Square.