Refaya Turshin (c.1994) is a Bangladeshi born, Toronto-based fine artist, eco-friendly designer, and photographer whose work focuses on hybrid photography and combining other interdisciplinary to photography. Her known works' explores interrelationship between Fashion, Photography, and Architecture.
Turshin takes interest in abstract, structured, rendered, conceptually theorised contemporary art and is often inspired by the "less is more" concept. She allows her work to express a message as well as make the audience feel visually at the colours and concept.
In her practice; she experiments with mixed media/medium, which includes, Japanese silk, Dhaka handwoven muslin, organic cotton fabric, organic waste, natural dyes, recycled garments and materials, wood, etc.
Her most valued practice of medium is exploring movement of photographs captured by her of architectural structure by printing them on Japanese silk, which she fabricates herself.
"One garment, one body, viewed, angled, and styled in many different ways…as an architectural figure would.", quotes Turshin.
Turshin graduated from OCAD University, completing her degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts, Photography in 2019. Her works were displayed at OCAD GradEx 104 (Annual Juried Graduate Exhibition), RAW Artists Canada, Fashion Art Toronto, and Partial Gallery.
Inspiration Behind Her Talent:
Turshin is strongly inspired by environmental issues and fresh air.
"Wearable Photographs" abstract-
Architecture and Umbrella: Shelter Wear series explores interrelationship between architecture, fashion, and photography.
For centuries, both architecture and fashion design have been used by people in order to provide a shelter for themselves. This is the most visible and logical relationship these two fields share. On the other hand, there are many techniques, concepts, and discourses that these two-professions share. These techniques such as folding, pleating, twisting, and many more. In addition, there are many examples that show the effect of one field on the other. Many architects are often inspired by a garment to design a building and it is the same in the other way around. These practices have been experimented by many artists and designers and are still in progress. Photographer are inspired by both of these professions and collaborates really well to both, since everything today looks better when photographed for display. Turshin is strongly inspired by architect Zaha Hadid, Bjarke Ingels, and fashion designers Hussein Chalayan, Issey Miyake, Junya Watanbe, Maria Luisa Frisa, and Lucy and Jorge Orta for inspiring to understand the portable and sustainable use of fashion and architecture and allowing her to introduce these fields into photography to create works, which represents the use of all in one.
"Phuti Karpas Muslin" abstract-
All these multidisciplinary movement allowed her to be one of the pioneers today to bring back Bangladesh's Lost Heritage, Handwoven Phuti Karpas Muslin. She works with natural dye, which she creates herself at home and experiments how this waste could be impactful towards global warming and wishfully thinking of Eco Bangladesh for a change.
On her spare time, she enjoys cooking, painting, playing the guitar, chilling with friends, walking down Queen Street West for inspiration, and collaborating on projects with artists and designers.