Anya Paintsil is a London based textile artist of Welsh and Ghanaian heritage. Combining traditional hand rug making techniques with afro hair styling methods, Anya's practice is largely autobiographical, taking inspiration from her childhood in North Wales, family stories, and Welsh and Ghanaian mythologies - while exploring identity, gendered labour and seeking to promote artistic practices historically devalued due to their associations with femininity and other marginalised groups.

Anya made her debut at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London in 2020, and since then Anya has received sustained interest from private collectors and public institutions. Recent acquisitions include Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, The National Museum of Wales, The Whitworth Gallery, Manchester and The Women’s Art Collection at Cambridge University

Anya was awarded the prestigious Wakelin Award in 2020 (exhibited at the Glynn Vivian in 2021), and has recently featured at exhibitions at The Whitworth Gallery Manchester, The Craft Council Gallery, London and at Arnolfini, Bristol.

Image courtesy Mary McCartney and Craft Magazine