Annya Sand has emerged as a distinctive voice in live art performance, developing a practice in which the act of painting becomes as significant as the finished work itself. Rather than creating behind closed studio doors, Sand brings the artistic process into public view, transforming painting into a shared experience shaped by place, people and human interaction.

​

This direction became particularly visible in 2021 during the UK lockdown, when Sand undertook a live painting performance at The Smallest Gallery in Soho, London. Working from a blank canvas in full view of the street, she gradually extended the work across the gallery walls and floor while passers-by watched through its glass frontage. At a moment of profound social isolation, the project turned an otherwise enclosed artistic process into an accessible public encounter. The performance attracted significant attention including recognition from the BBC, highlighting the social impact and connective potential of art during an extraordinary period.

​

Since then, live performance has become an increasingly important strand of Sand’s artistic language. Her performances respond directly to architecture, local history, conversations and the presence of the audience.

​

In 2024, Sand brought this approach to Florence through a series of live performances at Hotel Savoy. Creating a new work inspired by Florence and Florentine femininity, she painted publicly over several days, actively inviting visitors into the creative process. Conversations with those entering the space became part of the work itself turning painting from an individual act into a form of collaboration between artist, audience and city.

​

Alongside Florence, Sand has continued developing live and participatory projects in London and across different cultural settings, continually exploring how painting can move beyond the conventional canvas and become an immersive encounter.

​

Her current practice is expanding further through experimentation with philharmonic orchestras, live musical composition and digital technologies including video mapping, projection and immersive visual environments. By bringing painting into dialogue with sound, movement and digital media, Sand is exploring new forms of multidisciplinary performance. 

At the heart of Sand’s live practice is a simple but powerful proposition: art, like life itself, does not have to be something we encounter only after it has been completed. We can witness it taking shape, enjoy it, participate in its evolution and become part of the story as it unfolds.