About – Who on earth even is Junior Durrani?

Junior Durrani is a painter based in Eaglescliffe. Originally born in Peterborough to a Middlesbrough-born mother and a Pakistani father (who both ran away in secret - it was a different time!) he later 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.  

The “Artist Statement”

My painting and drawing practice currently is, for me, a way of staying present. In a world full of distractions, endless information and the constant temptation to pick up my phone, making work provides me with the opportunity to slow down and pay attention to what really matters in my life. Painting is where I can disengage from the outside world and become fully immersed in the inner world. Recently, my attention has become focused on my wife. We married last year and are expecting our second child. With another big change on the horizon, I wanted to experience this period of our lives with greater presence. Through drawing and painting her in ordinary, everyday situations, I've found myself seeing her differently. The whole process has reignited in me a new way of looking at her. It can be easy to move through the routines of work, parenting and domestic life and not properly see one another, especially after a relationship as long as ours. By taking the time to draw and paint her, I'm learning to just take a moment and pay attention: to notice, to be vulnerable and to keep falling in love again and again.