Meet Anna Sidana | Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Sidana and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
My elementary school motto was ‘Courage is Destiny’. This has always stayed with me and when in doubt, it has helped me take the leap. After raising my two wonderful children and a lifetime career in technology, I knew I had to make a change. I ended up taking some art classes and that opened a whole new world. I realized that art had always been inside me. It was calling and I wanted to dive into art deeper. I restructured my life and went back to school to get a Master of Fine Arts. Art school, later in life was an amazing experience. I flourished and decided to become a full-time artist. There was plenty of hard work, bumps, and self-doubt, but I stayed true to myself in my art practice and committed to this path with a passion. I believed in myself and have never looked back.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Searching for a connection with my heritage and culture, I stumbled upon hazy memories of endless play at our family farm in Rajasthan, India. While I was born and raised in New Delhi, we spent many vacations at the farm. With no distractions it was the perfect setting for climbing trees, chasing peacocks, eating mangoes and pomegranates, and endless daydreaming. A ragged black-and-white photograph of my grandmother at the spinning wheel immediately transported me back to the farm where we would go cotton picking. I remember my fascination with the exquisitely white, soft, and fluffy cotton flower. It was like no other flower I had seen. We would return from carefree days in the fields with cuts bleeding on our hands and legs from the dry, sharp stems of the cotton plant. Later in life, those early childhood memories evoked a minor obsession with cotton, making it the centerpiece of a series of paintings and further exploration. My art straddles representation and abstraction with largescale paintings in oil on canvas.
There is also a serious aspect of cotton as one of the earliest commodities, and the role cotton has played in colonialism and slavery. This has now become an area of further study for me.
There are many challenges in pursuing a career in the arts. However, taking the time to gain some clarity on how the industry works, and staying focused on the authenticity of my own voice have been the best lessons for me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in San Francisco and love this city. Here is what I would recommend. A little exercise every day, some art and lots of fine dining. For exercise I would recommend, Muir Woods and Mount Tam – these could be half-day hikes and are more strenuous. A bit more leisurely pace could be a hike at Landsend, walks at Crissy Fields Beach and Golden Gate Park. These are very enjoyable and even a picnic could be fun.
For art I would suggest the Legion of Honor, the deYoung Museum, the SF Moma, Coit Tower and a stroll in the Mission for street art. There are many wonderful neighborhoods to visit and sample different cuisines such as Clement Street, China Town, Japan Town, Fillmore Street, The Mission and so many more.
A day across the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito can be very enjoyable. Do sample some local sea food there!
If one is up for a bit of a drive, I recommend either Point Reys or a drive on Highway 1 to Carmel for the day.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is tough one because it is so hard to choose a few people. So many people gave me encouragement on my path to a new career in the arts. I remember discovering artist Hung Liu early in this chapter. We did not know each other, but not only did Hung Liu embrace my decision and ambition, she was kind enough to spend a whole afternoon with me in her studio, sharing her life’s journey in the arts, giving me realistic tips on how to navigate. A talk at school by Jenny Saville was another memorable moment. Jenny was informative and generous with her advice. All my professors at school who helped me think in a fresh way and helped me find my own voice. The younger students who embraced me with friendship and without judgement, and were liberal with their candid critique. My children, friends, and fellow artists who encouraged me every step of the way. Finally, Pamela Walsh, who believed in me and my work, and offered me my debut solo show. I have so many people to thank.

Website: annasidana.com

Instagram: @annasidana

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annasidanasart/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC26cMUfQANg6k-4RO4O3ORw