Zeynep Tekiner was born in 1977 in New York City. A first generation Turkish-American, she spent her early years living in Manhattan and then moved to Scarsdale, NY.

In 1999 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Communication Arts from Franklin University in Lugano Switzerland, with a Minor in Studio Art and Literature. After graduating from University, Zeynep moved to Turkey, where she painted in private studios in Ankara and then in Istanbul.

In Istanbul Zeynep continued her art and painting pursuits in Neriman Polat’s art studio, an Istanbul based installation and media artist. She painted in Neriman Polat’s studio from 2008-2014. In 2014  Zeynep had her first group show with two other Istanbul based artists, entitled “Spectacle”. In her work and her subjects she aims to explore duality and conflict, as well as elements of the overall human condition.

In 2014, Zeynep returned to NYC. In 2015 she enrolled at the New York Academy of Art’s one year Certificate in Fine Arts Program. In the fall of 2016, she began her MFA studies at the New York Academy of Art with a concentration in Painting.