About

Think. Be. Grow. Connect.

Pheany Ban was born in Fairfield, NSW, in 1989. Her parents migrated in 1983, fleeing from war-torn Cambodia to seek prospects of freedom and opportunity within the Australian lifestyle. She was raised in Western Sydney with Buddhist traditions by two hardworking parents who started a life with nothing but their hopes and perseverance. There was little money and time for materialism or the arts, with a strong focus on academics.

Pheany’s disconnection from visual culture took a turn during secondary school when she was introduced to the world of arts. She turned to the arts as a form of expression and communication of untold experiences and family history during visual arts electives and the HSC course in 2007. She continued her studies at the College of Fine Arts, UNSW, graduating with a Bachelor of Art Theory in 2011 and completed a Certificate IV in Applied Fashion Design and Technology at TAFE, SWSI in 2012. Over the next few years, Pheany continued to develop her practice by volunteering at the Blacktown Arts Centre and completing ceramic and drawing courses at various community colleges. It was not until she completed a Certificate III in Education Support at Open Colleges NSW in 2018 and started working as a student learning support officer that she decided to enrol in the Masters of Secondary Teaching (Visual Arts) at Charles Sturt University, which she completed in 2022. Following the first COVID-19 lockdown, she began volunteering at the Penrith Regional Gallery to reconnect with her community. Pheany now facilitates workshops during school holidays and public engagement programs at the gallery. She joined the Nepean Potters Society at the start of 2023 after exploring the clay medium further during various ceramic workshops at Campbelltown Arts Centre. She is currently teaching at secondary school in Western Sydney and Western Sydney University.

Pheany’s practice stems from the ability of the arts to connect and teach. Her work extends to various mediums and is usually determined by the theme or brief of each individual project. Her interest lies in developing community art projects and programs within Western Sydney. Pheany’s goal is to establish a community studio space that will act as a site of collaboration, connection and support for the diverse artists within the Western Sydney area.