Having studied under Master Printers Rodney Fumpston in New Zealand and Jordi Rosés & Clàudia Lloret in Spain, Annie Smits Sandano quickly established herself within the New Zealand gallery landscape with her coveted and sold out Tūī and Fantail wood cut print collections released as soon as she graduated from university. She has since become widely known and recognised for her vibrant, hand made prints that blend bold graphic forms with a playful contemporary folkloric sensibility.

 

All works are meticulously made mastering traditional analogue printmaking techniques with a focus on relief hand carving, copper plate etching and silk screen and printed by hand by the artist herself, nothing is outsourced to a printing studio - all editions are printed by hand by the artist.

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Her Lobster and Daisy series, produced during a printing residency at Sonsoles Studio in London, reflects a distinctive balance between organic originally hand rendered subject matter and highly stylised flat colour background compositions in acrylic washes and spray paint, each print from these editions are unique and original in it's own right.

 

Created using traditional silkscreen techniques, the works in this series emphasise detailed crisp outlines screen printed over the top of and carefully layered acrylic inks and spray paint. The lobster—often associated with the sea, resilience, and delicacy—is juxtaposed with the daisy, a symbol of simplicity and natural beauty. This pairing creates a subtle tension between strength and fragility, rendered with a lightness that keeps the imagery accessible and decorative without losing conceptual depth.

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The London context is important: the city’s dynamic printmaking scene and rich history of graphic arts inform Sandano’s approach, particularly in her embrace of repeatable imagery and bold visual language. Each print in the series carries slight variations inherent to the hand-pulled silkscreen process as well as unique painted backgrounds, reinforcing the tactile, artisanal quality of the work. The spray paints used in the colour backgrounds are also a nod to the graffiti seen all over London and it's ubiquitous presence in the cityscape. 

Overall, the Lobster and Daisy series captures Sandano’s ability to transform everyday motifs into striking visual statements—celebrating colour, craft, and the enduring appeal of hand printed traditions.