Anna Nero is drawn to the objects around her—their appearance, consistency, material, function, and sometimes even their character or agency. Lines, thick brushstrokes, or quirky little squares become objects or subjects that interact dynamically, offering a narrative. As a result, the material becomes the subject of the work rather tan just a tool. Brush strokes or thick worms of paint pressed directly from the tube develop their own ‘life’ or ‘agenda,’ which she supports by giving her paintings titles like “Strokes Trapped in A Grid” or “Hostel.” This approach reveals the humorous and ironic side of her work. She enjoys mixing, sampling, and quoting artists throughout art history in a postmodern manner, always with a playful wink.

Raised in a multi-cultural and multi-religious environment, Anna Nero’s family is Jewish, but she was also surrounded by Russian Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism. This diverse background fostered a deep interest in how different religions and cultures engage with images, objects, and icons. While Judaism prohibits most forms of image and icon worship, Russian Orthodox believers venerate icons. She situates her work within this discrepancy, striving to depict and display the undepictable, contextualizing painting between the sacred and the profane.

Sexuality also plays a crucial role in her work, encompassing themes of kinkiness, fetishism, bondage, and control. Engaging deeply with sensitive and erotic relationships between humans and objects has led her to create objects herself. Recently, she has ventured into ceramics, a logical progression from her extensive exploration of objects in her paintings. Her sculptures resemble jewelry, design objects, toys, nick-nacks, and sex toys. These pieces often imply a familiarity with functional objects but remain non-functional. In past exhibitions, she has combined paintings, objects, and wall designs to create immersive environments, inviting viewers to become subjects within the presented world.