Sandra Marie Santayana was born in Regensburg, Bavaria. She grew up in Schwandorf, where she also went to the college. Early she discovered her passion and her talent for arts and literary, engaging herself at school especially for these subjects and receiving various prizes for her work.   

In 1999, Santayana decides to abandon her secure and stable life in Germany and moves to Spain, where she dedicates herself completely to art and literary and writes two novels in German. One of them has been published in Germany: "Frida - Beziehungskisten und andere Komplikationen" ("Frida - romances and other difficulties"). It can be ordered at Gardeur Verlag, ISBN 3-935852-18-5.  

In Rome, in the Centro Culturale Europeo, she inaugurates the first exhibition of her paintings, titled "Ego" (autumn 2000), which becomes a big success. Even the famous newspaper "Il Corriere della Sera" calls her the new star in the world of art. Collectors are enchanted by the fact that 6 of her collages include a brush from the genius Salvador Dalí, and art critics praise her innovative style. In short distances, Santayana inaugurated various other exhibitions:

Between her collectors are celebrities like the Spanish ex-canceller Abel Matutes, the regisseur Roman Polanski, the ex-ABBA-singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad and the designer Valentino.

In March 2004 she presents with big success her first novel "Frida" to the public. The most important lectures are held in Leipzig, on the occasion of the Book Fair and the festival "Leipzig liest". After this big success wellknown TV stations, such as PRO7 and OTV, contact her to make various reportages on her life.

For two years Sandra Marie Santayana works for the Spanish TV-station TEF, presenting the German-speaking program "Das deutsche Inselfernsehen". She speaks fluently 5 languages - German, Italian, Spanish, English and French. In her free time she trains for marathons and half-marathons.

Since 2006 she lives in Rome.

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