Anya Paintsil is a London based textile artist of Welsh and Ghanaian descent. Combining traditional hand rug making techniques with afro hair styling methods, Anya's practice is largely autobiographical, taking inspiration from her childhood, 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.
Paintsil made her London debut at Somerset House’s annual contemporary African art fair, 1-54 in 2020. As well as private collectors, Anya has received sustained interest from public institutions. Recent acquisitions include the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea; The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, and Tullie House Museum, Carlisle. Anya was awarded the prestigious Wakelin Prize 2020 (exhibited at the Glynn Vivian in 2021), and featured in Crafts Council Gallery's exhibition 'Maker's Eye', London, 2021.