Alaena Turner studied Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art and Design and completed an MA at Slade School of Fine Art in 2008 specialising in Painting. In 2009 Turner was awarded an Emerging Artist Residency from Kingsgate Workshop Trust and in 2016 she was awarded the A.P.T Curatorial Fellowship from A.P.T Trust. Turner contributed to the materials research project of Slade School of Fine Art through her appointment as Honorary Research Associate in 2012-13. In this role she developed a collaborative project exploring art and food, Dinner with Picasso, which was awarded a research grant from the Institute of Making. Turner is currently undertaking a practice-based PhD at the University of Leeds, School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies department, funded by a White Rose College of Arts and Humanities scholarship.