Bio
Sammy-John Sands-De Freitas (Born 1992) is a British multi-disiplinary artist currently living in Scunthorpe, England.
De Freitas graduated from Leeds College of Art in 2016 - BA (Hons) Fine Art.
Once exclusive to large-scale abstract paintings, De Freitas now favours a large array of medium to create work.
"At a time, I wanted to be an artist and nothing else but as life would have it, I barely made enough to eat. I retrained during the pandemic and became a fitness instructor and thankfully I now earn a living doing something I love... however, this means I have much less time to create. I've had to scale my practice back to a state of exploration, only being able to create in my spare time means my previous practice has had to be put aside - my large painting practice was very time consuming and it's time I simply don't have anymore. I love instant gratification and so I need to use what is around me. If I get the need to create, I'll grab and use what is nearby. Drawing, instant photography, writing, small sculptures and the use of readymades are playing a huge roll now.
I'm not sure what my drive is at the moment but that in itself is exciting me. It's somewhere between the reality around me and the quickfire thoughts that enter my mind. I'll always turn to art when I need it."
De Freitas graduated from Leeds College of Art in 2016 - BA (Hons) Fine Art.
Once exclusive to large-scale abstract paintings, De Freitas now favours a large array of medium to create work.
"At a time, I wanted to be an artist and nothing else but as life would have it, I barely made enough to eat. I retrained during the pandemic and became a fitness instructor and thankfully I now earn a living doing something I love... however, this means I have much less time to create. I've had to scale my practice back to a state of exploration, only being able to create in my spare time means my previous practice has had to be put aside - my large painting practice was very time consuming and it's time I simply don't have anymore. I love instant gratification and so I need to use what is around me. If I get the need to create, I'll grab and use what is nearby. Drawing, instant photography, writing, small sculptures and the use of readymades are playing a huge roll now.
I'm not sure what my drive is at the moment but that in itself is exciting me. It's somewhere between the reality around me and the quickfire thoughts that enter my mind. I'll always turn to art when I need it."
