Her work is often based on historical research[3] and she has made projects about several early 20th century social movements, including the Kindred of the Kibbo Kift, and the East London Federation of the Suffragettes.
[2][4][5][6] Plender's artworks have been shown internationally in museums, exhibition spaces and as part of biennales, and she also works in the field of public art.
A book on her work, titled Rise Early, Be Industrious, was published by Sternberg Press in 2016.
It followed a solo show with the same title that toured to MK Gallery in Milton Keyes, Arnolfini in Bristol and CCA in Glasgow, UK, in 2012 and 2013.
Plender has published several graphic novels and comic books, including The Masterpiece (2001-2006), about the life of a fictional artist in 1960s London, and A Stellar Key to the Summerland (2007).