Miya Turnbull- Visual Artist
Self-Portrait Masks made by Miya Turnbull
Miya (pronounced Mee-yah) Turnbull is an artist based in Halifax (K'jipuktuk), Nova Scotia, Canada. This website explores her current body of work with Self-Portrait Masks, Photography, Video and Projection Work. Her online shop where she sells textiles and paintings, can be found at www.thatcat.ca
About her masks:
"My masks are three-dimensional self-portraits- a combination of photography, sculpture and collage. They are photo-realistic but often altered- for example, I might change the placement or even erase select facial features, or cut up and re-attach masks together in unusual combinations. I use photo elements within my work to create an uncanny resemblance within my masks, in addition to capturing images of myself wearing these facades.
I am drawing from the traditional uses of masks worn for disguise, transformation and protection, and as symbols for persona, self-image and identity. Ironically, I am placing my face on the front of the mask at the same time concealing my 'self' behind it. I can then manipulate how you see me. By keeping my image a constant, I am able to experiment with multiple iterations and further explore my heritage, experiences, perceptions and inner world, making these visible, tangible and wearable."
Behind the Mask: Miya Turnbull
Mini-doc showcasing my artwork, 3 min 37 sec.
Presented by Instagram's Fashion For Bank Robbers, January 2021.
The first of a series of videos about mask-makers from around the world, entitled: Behind the Mask, launching on their new YouTube Channel.
This was one of 2 videos of mine that were featured recently at the Mixed Asian Media Festival, September 15th-19th, 2021
An article and feature on Vogue Thailand's website
Article written by Nattanam Waiyahong, Nov 11th, 2021
Read the article here- translated to English through Google Translate.
Read the original article written in Thai here.
Art Reveal Magazine, May 2021
Issue #59
Cover art and Featured Artist:
Miya Turnbull
I am the cover and featured artist in MASKS Literary Magazine, Issue #2 (Fall 2021) which is an independent, non-profit literary magazine, published in partnership with the Columbia College Chicago Library and the Aesthetics of Research Program.
Read the online version of the magazine here
Read my full interview here
Print copies available soon
The Making of Nocturne 2021: LIMINAL
Video made by: Only Issue a full-service independent film house based on the east coast of Canada,
with additional footage provided by filmmakers from Atlantic Film Cooperative.
Halifax's Nocturne: Art at Night Festival featured the work of over 100 artists, curated by Liliona Quarmyne.
3 channel video projection onto masks: "Self-Portrait" was on display October 2021 at Halifax's Nocturne: Art at Night Festival, among many other masks and photos.
I often get asked how I got into mask making:
"I began making these "Photo-Masks", which is what I call this technique, during my Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, in the late '90's. I was taking several different classes in printmaking, photography, sculpture and painting and I was also taking anthropology, biology and psychology. At one point the drama department was offering a mask making class, which is where I learned how to make a plaster cast of my face and make lightweight papier-mâché masks. In my 3rd or 4th year, I had an independent open studio to work on my own and all these things came together and I made my first Photo-Mask.
I started focusing in on a series of Self-Portraits, starting in 2005, thanks to a Creation Grant from Arts Nova Scotia. There was a 10 year gap in my practise while focussing on my family but I have returned full time again for the past couple of years, thanks to an invitation to show my masks at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre Gallery in Toronto, Ontario in 2019, which got me back into the studio. I now have over 100 masks in my collection and continue to develop and expand this work."
ARTWORK
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I was one of 3 mask makers interviewed by Nataliya Tchermalykh (@amstramgram), a Social Anthropologist, from the University of Geneva. She recently presented her research about our work to the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) Conference in Visual Anthropology that is part of the RAI Film Festival, normally held in Bristol (UK) but was online this year due to Covid. The Film Festival ran from March 19-28th, 2021 and included a Panel Discussion on March 25th, 2021.
I am so honoured to be included in her research. Other mask makers that were interviewed were Mammu Rauhala (@mammu) from Finland and Liuba Malikova (@dis_order_dress and @luba_of_dis_order) from Ukraine.
Her paper is called “A Mask of One’s Own” and in Dr. Tchermalykh’s words, "This paper uses an anthropological lens to make sense of the expanding artistic creativity, related to hygienic masks and other face-covering devices in the times of Covid-19 in relation to other social meanings attributed to these objects.”
To access Miya's online shop where she sells paintings and textile work, including silkscreened designs and work with natural dyes, please visit: www.thatcat.ca
