Eat Work Art SPOTLIGHT: Zeena Shah

Zeena Shah is a multi-hyphenate creative whose vibrant use of colour and stylistic flair has catapulted her to popularity.

Having joined the Hackney Downs Studios community in November last year, we thought it high time we caught up with Zeena to have a look around her enviable studio space and find out more about her current projects on the go.

First of all, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your work?

Absolutely! I'm a Textile Designer by training. I studied at Chelsea School of Art & Design and started my career in the world of surface pattern design before moving quite organically into styling, prop making, art direction and now creative direction for my own brand and content creation work.

I am also a fashion, beauty and lifestyle influencer and am very lucky to be able to work with some incredible brands over on my instagram @heartzeena.

You're a multidisciplinary creative! What do you like best about what you do?

I've never been very good at sticking to doing just one thing, so being able to do lots of different things and make a living is definitely the best thing about what I do.

I never want to stop learning or trying news things so I feel very lucky to have built a career doing what I love.

You're also a colour expert... any advice for someone who wants to discover their own eye for colour?

Colour is my bag! There's so much power in colour, whether it's in the colour of clothing you choose to wear or the colour of paint for your walls, it can give such a mood boost and dopamine hit it's quite astounding. Colour therapy is real.

I always say life's too short not to live in colour, so my best advice would be to start small. Build your colour confidence gradually, be it a brightly coloured pair of socks or handbag or a statement wall in your home, you can't go wrong with surrounding yourself with positive shades. There's a reason Millennial pink was such a huge hit and that's because it is such a joy bringing colour.

Anything you've learnt along the way as a creative talent that you'd like to share?

It's ok to fail, I've learnt so many skills from getting things wrong and that's only a good thing.

Also, to book in holiday time! I still haven't gotten the work/ life balance quite right but make sure to rest and recharge when you need to and your body and mind will thank you for it and be even more productive afterwards... promise.

What's important to you at work or personally?

Being true to myself, my brand vision and ethos, that is a surefire formula for living your best work life!

Pre-order Zeena's latest book on the art of Marbling here.