Biography
Annja was born in Grenoble, France, in 1944. She commenced with a career in teaching, which she did for a decade before taking the turn into the visual arts. She studied under the acclaimed sculptor Guy Benoit at the top art school in Vence, graduating from the Ecole des Beaux Art (Nice) in 1979.
Annja’s first exhibition followed two years later, in 1981, where she received the Special Award of the judges of “Sauveur Chapel” (Le Canne), and has since exhibited her work countless times across the world, including Germany, England, Canada, and various states of the US. Her skills are highly valued, which has lead to her being commissioned for several pieces, including her “Continents” Monumental Sculpture for the Thunderbird International School of Management (Arizona State University), and her “Synergy” Commission for the Research Center of the Hospital Georges Pompidou (Paris).
Mougins, Provence (France) was the location of her first gallery, where she spent 14 years. This beautiful commune also happens to be where Picasso spent the last 12 years of his life, and is known to attract artists and celebrities.
Thus far, Annja has progressed through three distinct periods of artistic creativity, her latest focus being on the marriage of the arts and sciences, and a realization of spirituality and cosmic awareness – something she passionately refers to as Synergy. Annja has established a line of jewelry around this concept, though the genius of it is that all designs are also transferable into sculptures, some of which have already been realized. For instance, both her “Synergy” and “Synergy 6” have been turned into beautiful sculpture pieces, as well as jewelry items. The nucleus is always a prominent feature in all of her Synergy pieces, a constant reminder of the energy core of all living things, and humanity’s strength and unity.
In her own words, “Elements of life are evident in my work: the life cell, the foetus, the union of Yin and Yang, all common to the origin of life in their synergy, but also the Unity and the Harmony in their plurality.”
Annja currently spends her time between her studio in Scottsdale (AZ) and her studio in Burgundy, France. She is known for her ability to work off various environments and architecture, and constructing sculptures that harmonize with the space that they are to be displayed in. All works can be realized in different dimensions, as well as cast in metal.
