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Self-Portrait Masks made by Miya Turnbull

Miya (pronounced Mee-yah) Turnbull is an artist based in Kjipuktuk (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada).

I work in many mediums including mask-making, photography, animation, video, performance, painting and textiles. This website will focus in on my current body of work with Self-Portrait Masks, Photography, Performance and Video.
Note: My textile and painting website www.thatcat.ca is closed until further notice so I can focus on mask making.

 

About my 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 bi-racial heritage, experiences, perceptions and inner world, making these visible, tangible and wearable."

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES: OMOTE (⾯)

Photography (above) by Nanne Springer, 2023

Omote (面) is co-creation between Vancouver dance artist, Shion Skye Carter and Halifax mask maker, Miya Turnbull. By choreographing with hand-crafted papier-mâché masks of each of their faces, coming in myriad shapes and facial expressions, the artists explore their mixed Japanese Canadian heritage, collating and contrasting their personal experiences, while evoking the ritualistic nature of Japanese traditions such as the tea ceremony.

 

This performance challenges traditional ideas of beauty, while gestures and tableau articulate the Japanese concept of ‘honne’ (a person’s true feelings) and ‘tatemae’ (their public face). Omote (面) translates to both ‘surface/face’ and ‘mask’, and explores multitudes of layers of being and the self, manipulating what is revealed and what is hidden, honing in on the churning, transitory nature of identity.

We were brought together by Yume. Digital Dreams collaboration project presented by Tashme Productions in 2022, which united 14 Japanese Canadian artists together.

EASTERN CANADA PREMIERE: LIVE ART DANCE 2025

February 28, 8PM | March 1, 2PM & 8PM

Bus Stop Theatre, HALIFAX, NS

TICKETS THROUGH LIVE ART DANCE AVAILABLE HERE

Artist Talk  and Workshop details to come soon

WESTERN CANADA PREMIERE: VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL 2025

March 12 + 14, 7PM

Roundhouse Performance Centre, VANCOUVER, BC

TICKETS THROUGH VIDF AVAILABLE HERE

REGISTER: ORIGAMI + MOVEMENT WORKSHOP BY MIYA + SHION: MARCH 8TH, 12PM (FREE)


 

​MUSIC: Stefan Nazarevich (Vancouver, B.C.)

DRAMATURGY: Julie Tamiko Manning (Montréal, QC)

50 Minutes, No Intermission

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts


This project exists in several forms: 

 

Short Film: 

The film version (can be viewed here on YouTube) has screened at several film festivals including FIN (Atlantic International Film Festival, 2022), International Portrait Film Festival in Bulgaria (2022), Asian Arts: Environments of Resilience and Sustainability, Media Arts Exhibition (Korean Film Festival Canada/ Arts East-West) Dazibao Gallery in Montréal (2023) and Shifting Tides (Dance Films from Atlantic Canada, as part of IMPACTfest 2023) among other showings in galleries and venues in Canada, Germany and China.

 

Past Performances: 

We developed a 20 minute version of Omote (面) as a live performance, Spring 2023, commissioned by CanAsian Dance Kickstart Program and co-presented by Tangente and Festival Accès Asie. This performance was supported by Canada Council for the Arts and Kinetic Studio in Halifax. We performed in Montréal May 6-9th, 2023 and Toronto May 12-14th, 2023. 

Limite Edition Art/Photo Book:

We had a photo session with Nanne Springer before the premiere of Omote (面) in Montréal and the results from that photoshoot, I made into a photo book, thanks to the 2023 Art & Photo Book Award by Booooooom.

Copies can be purchased across Canada at these Gallery Bookshops: 

Burnaby, BC: Nikkei National Museum  & Cultural Centre Giftshop

Calgary, AB: Esker Foundation Gallery Bookshop

Toronto, ON: Shintani Gallery

Halifax, NS: EyeLevel Gallery Bookstore

PRESS: Article about our collaboration in The Nikkei Voice "Revealing Layers Within", May 2023

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RECENT SOLO EXHIBITION:

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“Revealed”
 

Shintani Gallery

700 Lansdowne Ave, Toronto, ON

Oct 4th-27th, 2024

Opening reception: Friday, Oct 4th from 7:00-10:00pm

A solo exhibit by Miya Turnbull featuring self-portrait masks, sculptures and photographs


Origami Workshops: 

Sunday afternoon, Oct 6th, 2024

3 sessions: 1-2pm, 2:30-3:30pm, 4-5pm

PRESS: 

Article and Interview by Kelly Fleck, editor of Nikkei Voice, the Japanese Canadian National Newspaper

"Artist Miya Turnbull reveals the layers beneath in new solo exhibition", Oct 3rd, 2024

 

Thank you to the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society Community Fund for supporting this exhibit.

Origami Workshop

RECENT COLLABORATION PROJECT

​LADDER 梯子


EMIKO AGATSUMA (BUTOH), MIYA TURNBULL (MASKS) AND GOZU MEZU (HITOSHI SUGIYAMA) (MUSIC)

APRIL-JUNE 2024

Japan-Canada International Exchange Project 

​日本カナダ国際文化交流

 

​LADDER 梯子

Collaboration by Emiko Agatsuma (Butoh Dancer) and Miya Turnbull (Mask Artist)

Music by Gozu Mezu (Hitoshi Sugiyama)

"Ladder 梯子" explores layers of cultural identity, masking, Japanese imagery and connections of shared ancestry and memories. The project also researches and honours multiple generations through the history of the Japanese diaspora in Canada as experienced by Miya's maternal family. Emiko and Miya have been working together in a creative residency in Halifax, N.S. from April through to June to combine their artistic skills to create approximately a 30-40 minute performance. Hitoshi has been working remotely and in-person with Emiko and Miya, to create an ambient musical landscape also inspired by his Japanese and Canadian experiences, paired with live performances of Taiko drumming and Shinobue (Japanese flute)."Ladder 梯子" explores layers of cultural identity, masking, Japanese references and connections of shared ancestry and memories. The project also researches and honours multiple generations through the history of the Japanese diaspora in Canada as experienced by Miya's maternal family, as well as folklore and imagery such as Yokai (supernatural entities) and Yūrei (ghosts). Emiko and Miya have been working together in a creative residency in Halifax, N.S. from April through to June to combine their artistic skills to create this performance. Hitoshi has been working remotely and in-person with Emiko and Miya, to create an ambient musical landscape also inspired by his Japanese and Canadian experiences, paired with live performances of Taiko drumming and Shinobue (Japanese flute).

 

Together during their creation residency, new masks of each performer have been created and inspired by the choreography, movement and music and in turn, the performance has been influenced and informed by Miya's masks in true collaboration form. This is just the beginning of their collaboration together. They hope to further expand and develop their project and showcase across Canada and Japan in the future. 

Performances and Artist Talks happened June 28th (SOLD OUT)+ 29th (2 shows), 2024

in Halifax, NS at the Bus Stop Theatre. 

Duration: 40 minutes

Online screening of a film version of the performance will be available between July 19th- August 31st, 2024 for a small fee of 550 JPY (approx $5 CAD). 

PRESS

Article and Interview: 

“A Ladder Across the Globe: Collaborative Project Connects Canadian and Japanese Artist.”

Nikkei Voice, interview and article by Kelly Fleck. June 2024. Vol 38. No 5. Pages 9 and 15. 

N.S Reviews:

 

Review of the Performance by Elissa Barnard, June 2024

Trailer of Performance Video

This project has been generously supported by the Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), Arts Nova Scotia (Support4Culture), Canada Council for the Arts/ Conseil des arts du Canada and Kinetic Studio (Halifax, NS)

Additional thanks to Prismatic Arts Festival, Dance Nova Scotia (DANSpace), the Japanese Society of Halifax and the Bus Stop Theatre.

ACT Logo
Canada Council Logo
Support4Culture
ArtsNS
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RECENT AND CURRENT GROUP EXHIBITIONS

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PULP

April 6th- July 27th, 2024

Nelson Museum, Archives and Gallery

Nelson, BC

Curated by Arin Fay

 

PULP is the latest iteration in a series of medium-centric group exhibitions, focused on a common theme – in this case, paper – that highlights each artist’s interpretation of the medium. PULP opens Friday, April 5 at the Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery, and runs through July 27.  

 

In the hands of artists from across Canada, the artworks that embody PULP speak to personal, regional, socio-political, and historic symbology; seen in the feminist forms of Gathie Falk and Badanna Zack, with an Indigenous perspective through the work of Edward Poitras, through the revolt and response of Mia Feuer, the masks of Miya Turnbull, and the poetic/historical approach of Susan Andrews Grace.  

To see exhibit photos please click here

ART CATALOGUE:

PULP Exhibition Catalogue. Text and curation by Arin Fay. Published by Nelson Museum, Archive & Gallery. Printed in Canada by Hall Printing, 2024. ISBN: 978-1-9990446-9-5.

ILLUSIVE MASKS

 

June 15-Sept 15, 2024

SEEWELL International Art Center
Fuzhou, China
Curated by Feng Boyi 

So honoured to be a part of this group exhibit featuring many talented artists including Cindy Sherman (my hero when it comes to self-portraiture and masking)! This is my first exhibit in Asia so I’m really excited. I will be showing multiple video works.

PRESS links and more about the exhibit and all the artists:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/dR4CYCPWYqNMWsDJ-qFR0w

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YWwoY7iLxdJsq96Qe7e-JQ

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/XwwoLQOnkQK19SjWS-6Pgg

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/emswVESDTtcYCGwHPXSoyA

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RECENT EXHIBITION

Esker Foundation: Calgary, Alberta

 

"Like everything alive that we try to hold forever"

September 23rd - December 17th, 2023

Group exhibition featuring the artwork of Larry Achiampong & David Blandy, Diane Borsato, Stephanie Dinkins, Bridget Moser, Sondra Perry, and Miya Turnbull

 

"Like everything alive that we try to hold forever" brings together seven artists whose works, in a broad sense, reflect ways that our human bodies exist in relation to non-human objects and the complex, interconnected ways that these objects, through their systemic collection, consumption, and contextualization, impact our understanding of self and others.

 

-Curated by Elizabeth Diggon, Naomi Potter and Shauna Thompson

 

Any of the photos seen on the wall behind my mask table are the work of Diane Borsatto

 

This exhibit is also in conjunction with "Care and Wear: Bodies Crafted for Harm and Healing" and is curated by Brendan Griebel and Jude Griebel, 2 brothers who are an anthropologist and visual artist respectively. They are showing selections from their collection of surrogate bodies from the Museum of Fear and Wonder based in Bergen, Alberta. 

 

Photograph credit: Blaine Campbell

 

 

Audio walkthrough about my masks and origami

 

Fall Brochure PDF

 

"Expression Unmasked" was co-produced in partnership with Esker Foundation and Inside Out Theatre and directed by Ebony R. Gooden. The film was created in response to Miya Turnbull’s "Self-Portrait Masks," 2018-20 as part of "Like everything alive that we try to hold forever," 2023.

See video here

PUBLICATION

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Visual Arts News, Volume 44, Number 2, Fall 2022

 

So honoured to have my artwork on the cover of the latest issue of Visual Arts News, a magazine that explores contemporary art practices in Atlantic Canada, on the unceded and unsurrendered lands of the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqiyik, Inuit, Innu, and the Southern Inuit of NunatuKavut.

 

A beautiful article written by Clare Goulet, a local writer, poet and educator, is published on pages 21-25.

You can read the article here. 

See more interviews/publications/features about Miya's work here

MINI-DOCS:

Behind the Mask: Miya Turnbull

 

Mini-doc showcasing my artwork, 3 min 37 sec.

Presented by Instagram's Fashion For Bank Robbers, January 2021.

Curated by Carina Shoshtary and edited by Kat Tolkovsky.

 

The first of a series of videos about mask-makers from around the world, entitled: Behind the Mask, launched on their new YouTube Channel.

Miya Turnbull: The Art Between

 

Mini-doc showcasing my artwork, 3 min 54 sec.

Presented by ArtSeen, December 2023

 

ArtSeen is a new digital platform showcasing artists and artist-run centres in Atlantic Canada, produced by ARTSPLACE Gallery, based in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Interview, video production and editing by Andrew Tolson.

See more interviews/press/features about Miya's work here

CUSTOM MASKS:

Custom Masks made for Allie X for upcoming album.

"Black Eye" music video premiered Oct 31st, 2023

Album cover and album art announced Nov 16th, 2023

GIRL WITH NO FACE: release date: Feb 23rd, 2024
 

Read Rolling Stone article here featuring images with my masks

Photography by Marcus Cooper