Inhabiting Disguises: Miya Turnbull
Variable, mysterious, and yet familiar… As we delve into the depths of our true selves, we question the concept of identity and come together with Miya Turnbull, the name behind the masks, integrating the elements of the inner and outer worlds. Join us.
Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did your artistic journey start?
Miya Turnbull: I’ve always wanted to be an artist ever since I was young, but it is only now in my middle-age that I am able to do this full time as a career while I also balance being a mother. I have always loved working with all artistic mediums but currently my passion is for making self-portrait masks. This has also branched out into portraiture/photography and video performances which has also led to live performances with my masks. I’ve been very lucky to receive support in Canada for many projects and I am glad my practise can keep evolving.
How you discovered your passion for creating self-portrait mask and what inspired you to explore the concept of identity?
Miya Turnbull: I grew up as mixed race, and there was a constant questioning of my appearance by strangers on a daily basis. I struggled with my own identity, not sure where I fit in (not quite Japanese, not quite White) so when I first began making my self-portrait masks 20 years ago, I discovered this was the perfect medium to explore how I felt. I also saw the strange uncanny nature of the masks and was thrilled to explore how I could change and distort my image and then ‘wear’ a new face. I’m also really interested about identity in general, with the multiple roles we play in life, and examining what we hide in contrast to what we show to the world regarding our true feelings and nature.
Your self-portrait masks are visually striking and intricate. What message or emotions do you aim to convey through these works?
Miya Turnbull: I hope that people also see themselves in my work, even though I am creating self-portraits and making variations of my image with each new mask. It’s about something much bigger than vanity- I hope that people question why we might respond differently to certain masks because it might not fit the ‘norm’. I hope that people recognize that we all wear masks in society, whether we use them to hide or protect ourselves or because we think we need to ‘be’ a certain way to be accepted. To show that tension between our inner and outer world, I can physically show and manipulate the surfaces of the masks as opposed to the structure as well as the inner concave spaces of the masks as sculptures.
What is next for your future masks?
Miya Turnbull: I’m always trying to think of new variations to make with each self-portrait and I really like to exhibit them together as a group so that you see a full spectrum of the differences and similarities, so I am excited for several shows coming up. I really enjoyed collaborating with a dance artist recently (Shion Skye Carter) with a huge number of masks, and we have plans to develop our piece further which is exciting. I also really want to keep pushing my ideas and focus on the craft of mask making and explore new materials to create new images.
If you had a time machine, which historical era or culture would you visit to explore their use of masks and how they inform your artistic practice?
Miya Turnbull: I would love to go to Japan, at any time period, and learn about more about Noh masks and see them used in live performances. I am in awe of the craftsmanship of these wooden masks, how they take months to carve and have very specific measurements and characteristics. I am also fascinated how the actors can convey so much emotion through these static masks just simply by tilting their heads and playing with lighting.
What excites you most about this summer?
Miya Turnbull: This summer I am really excited to be a part of the Bonavista Biennale which is located on the far east coast of Canada in Newfoundland. I have always wanted to travel there and I am really honoured to be selected amongst many talented artists. Thanks to funding through the Biennale and from Arts NS, I’m also able to print life-sized self-portraits (full body) so that is exciting for me to see new work and ideas come to fruition to add to my body of work.
What do you think it means to be original? Are you afraid of losing your inspiration or creativity?
Miya Turnbull: Originality to me means that I’m making artwork through my personal lens of experience. I know people are worried about AI art making artists redundant but I realized that no one else can replicate my ideas based on what I’ve lived and experienced so far in the same way that only I can. And because I work so hard and so consistently, I am always coming up with new ideas as I’m working on my masks. I wouldn’t have that same experience if I wasn’t just diving in and doing it and trying things out and experimenting and seeing what works for me and what doesn’t. I get so excited when something aligns in my work that it often leads to 10 new ideas from there, so I don’t worry about losing creativity or inspiration as long as I keep up my practise and keep actively working and don’t worry too much about making ‘mistakes’ because I learn so much from everything that I try.
How do you use your mask while delivering your vision?
Miya Turnbull: The mask is really such a special medium to work with. It comes with such a rich history of meaning already; it represents archetypes, persona, identity, disguise, protection and transformation to name a few (theatre, halloween, rituals, etc). Most recently during the pandemic, we all likely have some association with wearing masks whether we appreciated it or hated it. Also the idea of ‘masking’ as a verb or action is so interesting to me and hopefully viewers can all relate to this, as we move throughout life interacting with different people, and sometimes hide parts of ourselves. Making a mask as an art piece, conjures up all of these things so I’m really tapping into that, adding in my own explorations and then it’s really amazing how open for interpretation my work can be because of that. And because we are innately drawn to ‘faces’ in general, I find people often have a strong reaction to my work.
What is your motto of life?
I think it’s really important to persevere and to endeavour- to maintain a constant practise of striving to become a better version of ourselves. We will never be ‘perfect’ but we should always try to constantly improve and never stop learning. We can learn so much from each other, so I try to stay open and engaged with everyone I meet, and to see the goodness within everyone. We are all connected and life is full of magical possibilities if you stay open to that idea. I also try and hold onto the mantra of ‘dig deeper’ on many levels; as a person to know myself better and to keep evolving and also as an artist, to keep exploring and gain further understandings of my artwork and how to convey my intentions in stronger ways.
The artist who impressed you the most?
Miya Turnbull: The artist who has inspired me the most would be my mother, Marjene Matsunaga Turnbull, who passed away recently which is devastating. When I was growing up, she always nurtured my creativity and I saw her learn new skills working with clay in particular. Over time, what really impressed me the most was she went from making functional beautiful pottery to diving deep into sculptural works that really explored a lot of her emotions and trauma that existed because of the persecution of Japanese Canadians during WWII and the following years. Watching her turn feelings of anxiety and shame into healing artwork was a revelation for me seeing that first hand. She has had the biggest influence on my life, inspired me in so many ways and helped shaped me and supported me more than anyone, I’m forever grateful to her.