Featured Artist: Miya Turnbull

Featured Artist: Miya Turnbull

by C.T. Lisa | Interview

What drew you to the medium of mask-making?

It' s not a very common medium, but you 'd be amazed how many mask-makers are out there now! It combines a lot of things that I love—sculpture, photography and collage. I took a class in university through the drama department, learning basics like casting my face and using paper-mâché to make lightweight but strong masks. Then I began developing my Photo Mask technique on my own. Using photos for the final layers of the masks brought life to them. [It] was instantly realistic yet uncanny.

I love masks as ornamental art pieces, but also as something I can wear to cover my face and change the way I look... it touches on performance art. I animate and do projections, so that gets into new media and digital work. [Masks] intersect with so many different disciplines... They're the perfect metaphor for representing identity. Masks come with such a rich history and tradition. It almost feels like "cheating," because when I make new masks, I'm drawing from all the significance already imbued... So I carry all that symbolism in my work and then use it to dig deeper into my explorations.

"Self Portrait" (Shift #8)

Aesthetica Magazine (Aug/Sept 2021)

Each of your masks manages to evoke a very nuanced tone— campy, creepy, flippant. Where do the faces come from?

They're all self-portraits, even if they get completely abstracted in the process of trying out different techniques. For example, if I've learned a new sewing technique or Japanese calligraphy, it' s not long before it gets incorporated into my masks. Or if I shift my face on top of the mask' s structure in one way, then I also try other similar ways. I might discover a new material to work with, and the potential of that leads to new faces. But my face is always the constant... There's always some tether and something familiar threaded through all the faces—even though my collection of masks has now grown to over 100!

I want [viewers] to see all the different faces as variations of “me.” Or even more abstractly—I want them to see “me” in the space between them all. Even though the masks are self-portraits, I want viewers to actually see themselves in that space too.

Do you spend a lot of time planning out masks before execution? Or do you improvise and follow your intuition?

Some of the masks are planned out initially—sometimes I see something very clearly in my mind that I want to make, or I've gotten ideas from the last mask that I made and can't wait to try another variation. But sometimes, I' m stuck for ideas, and then I'll just start the process anyway, not sure of where it will go. Often I try something on the mask that makes me cringe or that I find interesting, and then I go with that.

"Self Portrati" (Split)

Art Reveal Magazine, No. 59 | 2020

Your artist statement says that your work explores "where the outer persona turns inward or where the line between 'beauty' and 'grotesque' becomes blurred." Do you see your work primarily as an exploration of authenticity?

I wouldn't say that I'm primarily exploring authenticity, but that' s definitely something I am exploring, especially when it comes to comparing the outer persona—the face we show the world—in contrast to our inner world.

Sometimes I show contrast between the two by misaligning my features on the mask, where the surface of the mask doesn't match the structure. Or I will depict a different face or expression on the concave space inside the mask. In [the artist] statement, I am more interested in exploring that "in-between" space, whether it's between the outer and inner, or that shift between beauty and grotesque and also between two cultures, since I am a mix of Japanese-Canadian and Caucasian. What advice do you have for emerging artists?

My advice would be to work at something daily, or as regularly as possible. Even just five minutes a day will amount to something substantial over time. And apply for everything—submit to grants, exhibits, publications, and any possible opportunity. For every "yes" I get, there are at least five rejections, so you do need to develop a thick skin, but if I didn't apply to anything, nothing would happen.

It's definitely hard to maintain creativity, especially during a pandemic or stressful situations, so be kind to yourself. Whenever I get stuck I try and learn something new, and eventually something clicks. Also, I just start the process and try things out, even if I have no idea where to go with it. If I don't like the results, I just cover it over with another idea.

"Self Portrait (Letting Go)"

Art Reveal Magazine, No. 59 | 2020

Where else can we find your work?

I post regularly on Instagram @miyamask, and I try to keep up with my website at www.miyaturnbull.com, which is full of photos and videos and information. My last major exhibit just finished at the end of August at Gallery 101 in Ottawa, Ontario. Right now I'm taking advantage of social media to post new work.

"Self Portrait (Photos as Masks)"

Collection of the Art Bank of Nova Scotia | 2020