Omote (面)

Miya and Shion explore their mixed Japanese Canadian heritage with a myriad of deeply expressive hand-crafted and personalized masks. The choreography serves to collate and contrast their experiences and family histories, while evoking the intimate and ritualistic nature of Japanese traditions.

Their 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 with over one hundred handcrafted masks.

2 performances will take place at Casa Arts Centre (Community Room), Lethbridge, Alberta.

Thursday, Oct 29th, 2026: 7:00pm-8:30pm

Friday, Oct 30th, 2026: 7:00pm-8:30pm

General Admission and Student Pricing available (*Note: Artists and underwaged folks can also use the student pricing) No one turned away for lack of funds.

More information about each artist:

www.shionskyecarter.com Instagram: @shionskye

www.miyaturnbull.com Instagram: @miyamask

Additional Programming:

Miya and Shion will be giving an Artist Talk as part of the Art NOW series at the Univeristy of Lethbridge, Oct 28th at 12 noon. Everyone welcome.

They are also offering an Origami and Movement Workshop at the Bunka Centre (Nikka Yuka Japanese Gardens), Oct 28th, 6-7pm.

Register for the workshop here: https://forms.gle/8qTvP8gYdziDYmik9