Refaya Turshin

Refaya Turshin (c.1994) is a Bangladeshi born, Toronto-based fine artist, and photographer. Turshin is the founder and designer of the eco-friendly fashion brand RT Atelier Co. She focuses on hybrid photography and combining other interdisciplinary to photography; her known works' explores interrelationship between Fashion, Photography, and Architecture.

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).

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 glass, Japanese silk, chiffon, cotton fabric, recycled garments and materials, wood, etc. Her most common practice of medium is exploring movement of photographs captured by her of architectural structure by printing them on Japanese silk organza, which she fabricates herself. "One garment, one body, viewed, angled, and styled in many different ways…as an architectural figure would.", quotes Turshin.

"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. Fashion designers such as Issey Miyake and Noa Raviv are heavily influenced by architects like Zaha Hadid, Frank Lloyd Wrights, and many more. 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 Watanabe, 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.

Turshin has a twin sister. 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.