Anya Joanes is a contemporary fine artist based in West London. She works mainly in oils, although drawing in pencil and charcoal are fundamental to her practice.

Anya grew up in London, Brazil and Portugal, with Dutch and Indian parents. She drew frequently as a child and painted her first oil painting as a teenager.

However, Anya pursued a career in IT telecommunications, enjoying it whilst it lasted, and only after becoming a mother did she start exploring her way back into the art world…taking an art foundation, studying classical fine art.

Anyas’ influences draw from classical painting combined with a meditative practice of looking. Observation is the starting point of her work, where she seeks an emotional and exploratory response to the motif.

Whether Anya is painting the landscape, still lives or the figure, Anya’s search is to evoke a feeling, be open to imagination, memories and symbolism. Colour, the viscerality and scraping of paint and play, are an important part of the development of her painting language, in creating space, light and a connection to the human spirit.

“The aim is to find a little light, hope, beauty, a surprise in everyday life..”

Anya works from her home studio, setting up still lives, looking at the timeless masters such as Titian, Poussin, Corot, Morandi, Dickinson…..the quest never ends…it is a search to express poetry of life, which is fundamental to her work. She is currently part of the North London Group, aiming to further develop her pictorial language.

Anya can also be found painting outside especially during the summer months, in London, Paris, Portugal, following the tradition of plein air painting.

Anya has exhibited with the Royal Society of British Artists, the Bath Society of Artists, The Discerning Eye, the New English Art Club and Highgate Contemporary Art gallery. Her work can also be found in Gallery 19, in Kensington ,London and is held in various private collections in the UK and Portugal.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

2026 “Wimbledon Art Trail”, Common Works Gallery, Art House Wimbledon, 12th - 13th September, London, UK

SELECTED EXHIBTIONS

2026 “North London Group Exhibition”, Regent’s Park Gallery 24th August - 6th September, London, UK

“New English Art Club”, Mall Galleries, London, UK

2025 “Ing Discerning Eye Exhibition”, Mall Galleries, London, UK

“The Little Picture Show ”, Highgate Contemporary Art, London, UK

“Portobello Women Artists and Beyond ”, Morley Gallery, London, UK

2024 “The Little Picture Show”, Highgate Contemporary Art, London, UK

“Wimbledon Art Trail”, Art House Wimbledon, London, UK

2023 “Winter Exhibition”, Highgate Contemporary Art, London, UK

“Summer Exhibition”, Highgate Contemporary Art, London, UK

“The Phenomenal Female - Who am I?”, Bookery Gallerie, London, UK

2022 “These Momentous Times”, Bookery Gallerie, London, UK

2021 “Annual Open Exhibition”, Bath Society of Artists, Victoria Art Gallery, Bath, UK

“Figurative Art Now”, Federation of British Artists, Mall Galleries, London, UK

2020 “Portraits of NHS Heroes”, Google Arts Culture, UK

2019 “Pintar Rapido”,Chelsea Town Hall, London, UK

2018 “Salon de Refuse”, Candida Arts Centre, London, UK

2017 “Bods Exhibition”, Safehouse 1 and 2, London, UK

DEMO, INTERVIEW

2026 Youtube interview with artist Joshua Press

2025 Still Life demo at the Discerning Eye Exhibition, Mall Galleries, UK

EDUCATION

North London Group

London Atelier of Representation Art LARA

Art Foundation at Hamspstead School of Art