Şehribanu Turan is a UK based artist and independent researcher. She has completed her
BA in Persian Language & Literature at Istanbul University and MA in Muslim Cultures at the
Aga Khan University in the UK. She currently works in the field of arts and culture and has
experience in engaging with various community organisations in the UK.
Şehribanu considers her projects as an exploration into the urban aesthetics in the diasporic
communities and documenting the “unseen” of the cultural heritage. She practices
photography to communicate her take on the reality of identities by re-establishing the visual norms and enquire the idea of aesthetic in self-representation.
We talk to Şehribanu about her artistic approach to creating a visual language, shedding light on overlooked everyday life scenes of Muslim diasporic communities in Britain, and her aspirations for the future.
Tell us about your education and background. You studied Persian Language/Literature at Istanbul University. How has this influenced your creativity?
Throughout my studies in Persian, Arabic, and Turkish, as well as my experiences in Istanbul and Iran, I developed a deep curiosity in the relationship between history and language. I am especially fascinated by the role and impact of art and culture in our lives, beliefs, and rituals, and the connections between art and culture in contemporary and historical societies.
These formative experiences alongside my studies shaped my curiosity and desire to learn further about Muslim Culture and also motivated me to engage with the challenges faced by societies both in critical and creative ways. I am interested in all forms of art and the role it plays in carrying the history of Muslim societies, their cultures, and the daily life practices throughout history to the present day.
You are an accomplished MA graduate in Muslim Cultures, why did you choose to specialize in this area?
My formative experiences led me to pursue an MA in Muslim Cultures, which helped me develop insight and a deeper understanding of the interaction between different cultures and civilisations. Ever since I could remember Islam was my identity but I wanted to challenge my understanding of it. I decided to step aside from my identity, isolate myself from my personal experiences and have a scholarly look at it. In order to gain a more practical understanding of my faith, I intended to benefit from the way it is theorised, and also challenge the way in which it is viewed from a western lens.
What do you think of the representation of Muslims culture in mainstream arts and cultural institutions?
A lot has been said elsewhere about how Muslim culture is represented by others, but how we represent ourselves is open to discussion as well – we share some of the blame for how Muslims are represented, in ways that do not reflect our daily realities, and which negatively affects our visibility as a result. For example, Instagram influencer image, going to posh cafes and being absorbed in a western consumerist, capitalist culture and lifestyle. We must strengthen our personal relationship with the imaginations of our communities, challenge the sense of aesthetics that is under the influence of what is foreign and hostile to our culture. In my work, by reinterpreting scenes that are not considered part of that aesthetic by us(?), I create new aesthetic perceptions and contribute to a perspective from the ordinary and natural state of everyday Muslim life. In order to be able to discuss representation in the global world, we must put effort into thinking about how we represent ourselves, and distinguish between true and false self-representation.
You are interested in engaging with communities and have experience working with local communities both within the UK and the Middle East. How has this relationship with local people shaped your creativity?
Photography for me is a means of communication through which I can resonate with my surroundings as well as document culture. It’s a form of communication with the environment. In London, as I wander in neighbourhoods with a considerable Muslim population, suddenly it seems that the streets I walk in, the shops, and people who don’t speak the same language suddenly start speaking to me in a familiar language and narrating me memories of my own home. In those moments, I have no aesthetic considerations with the photographs I take – it’s just a matter of focusing on that intense feeling of familiarity present at that serendipitous moment. As it occurs, I capture the moment in all its natural state.
