New Affiliate Member – Zeny Rehman

How would you describe your creative practice? 

My creative practice is rooted in painting and drawing, exploring memory, materiality, and the traces that people and objects leave behind. I work across large canvases, sketchbooks, and smaller studies, often circling around themes of nostalgia and intimacy. 

 

Can you tell us the story behind why you started your business/practice and your journey so far. 

I began painting at fifteen, but it wasn’t until a teacher asked me in a college interview why I hadn’t chosen art that I realised how central it already was in my life. That moment set me on a path I haven’t wanted to step away from. Painting has become a space I always return to. A practice where memory, people, and the inner world come together. Over time, my journey has been about balancing the quiet focus of the studio with the rhythms of daily life, and noticing how the two often reflect each other. What continues to drive me is the way painting creates connection. Whether it’s a conversation sparked in front of a piece, or someone choosing to take a print home because it resonates with them, these moments of shared humanity are what make the practice so meaningful. 

 

Did you study at University? If so, where did you graduate from and what course did you study? 

I did my BA in Fine Art at University of East London, where I learned a lot, and grew a lot as an artist.  

 

What do you hope that being part of the Banks Mill community will do for your creative business/practice? Is there one thing in particular that you’re looking forward to? 

I’m hoping that being part of the Banks Mill community will bring me back into an environment where artists can share, learn, and grow alongside each other. It’s something I’ve been missing for a while, and I know how much energy and inspiration comes from being surrounded by people who are also deeply invested in their practice. I feel it will also help build my confidence and give me the encouragement I need to keep pushing my work forward. What I’m most looking forward to is sharing my paintings with new audiences, and opening up conversations that might lead my practice into unexpected places.

 

 

Do you have any other work experience/support/or training that’s relevant to what you’re doing now? 

Alongside my painting practice, I work as an art teacher, which keeps me closely connected to how people engage with creativity and materials. I also have a background in yoga teaching, which has shaped the way I approach presence, reflection, and process in the studio. I studied Fine Art at degree level and went on to complete my PGCE, so both my education and teaching experience have supported me in developing a reflective and disciplined practice. 

 

What are you working on at the moment? 

At the moment, I’m exploring a series of paintings that look at memory, presence, and the subtle traces people leave behind. I’m interested in how rooms, objects, and figures can hold emotional weight, and how these moments of stillness and reflection can be captured on canvas. Alongside this, I’m revisiting my sketchbooks and small studies to develop ideas and experiment with compositions before bringing them into larger works.  

 

Tell us about your work/techniques/how long a piece takes to complete etc 

My work is mostly in oil paint, on larger canvases. Though I often draw on paper and experiment with ink, charcoal, and gouache as part of the process. I’m drawn to layered surfaces, so there’s usually a build-up of glazes, marks, and reworked areas that give the paintings a sense of memory being revisited. A piece can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on scale. I tend to sit with paintings for a while, returning to them to let the imagery shift and settle over time. 

 

What are your plans for your business/practice for the next 12 months? 

Over the next year, I want to focus on sharing my work more publicly. That means exhibiting, producing prints, zines and a small publication to accompany my paintings, and connecting with audiences outside the studio. I also want to keep developing my practice through new bodies of work, and being part of the Banks Mill community feels like the right step to keep that momentum going.