About – Who even is Junior Durrani?

Junior Durrani is a painter based in Eaglescliffe. He grew up in Stockton-on-Tees, and later lived in Middlesbrough, where he studied English Literature at Teesside University. After obtaining his PGCE in Primary Education from Northumbria University, Junior worked full time as a primary school teacher for several years. The passing of his mum became a pivotal moment in his life, prompting him to reconnect with his love of painting and drawing. Currently, he balances his passion for art and self-expression with his role as a supply teacher in various local schools, while dedicating time to his daughter and wife.  

Junior’s art draws on his own life story and experiences. His work often explores themes of nostalgia, is usually narrative driven, and reflects his connections to the local area and its people. Each piece reflects who he is and his journey, capturing moments and memories that have shaped his identity.  

The dreaded “Artist Statement”

When I paint, I usually begin with photographs that resonate with my own story — moments I’ve lived through and want to re-explore. Time often deepens my interest in these memories, making me want to see them again through paint. I’m less concerned with replicating a photo exactly and more interested in capturing the feelings it brings back, along with the emotions I’m experiencing right now as I revisit it.

I enjoy the physicality of painting: laying on thick layers, scraping them away, and seeing what emerges. Working mostly with a single palette knife, I’m still surprised by how brushes and knives can leave such bold, unpredictable marks. Painting, for me, is always a push and pull between recreating fragments of reality and giving in to the childlike joy of mark-making. That tension is what keeps me painting (and, yes, what artists like to call a “process”).