Billie Muraben
y: tell me more about yourself :)
b: i grew up in brighton, in the south of england. my mom is british and my dad is turkish. that cross-over of different cultures and ways of living was quite a big part of my childhood. i studied mainly arts and humanities.
y: do you have any early memories of creative moments?
b: i think at home, the main kind of art form that was really present was music. my parents both really enjoy music so we always had a lot of parties in my house, it was very nice and social. however, films and visuals weren’t that present. so i think the most important elements were music and literature. my dad would always listen to music in languages he could not understand so it was something quite nice about this idea of things that have more to do with feelings, just enjoying and engaging without necessarily fully understand.
my dad would always listen to this brazilian band from the 60s/70s, called os mutantes and who were kind of like pop psychedelic rock band, there are really good. he would always tell my brother and i about how involved they were politically, doing anti governments manifests,..so it was all about learning who are the people and how they interact with the reality as well as listening to their music. we went to an exhibition when i was 12 or 13, it was the only exhibition in my life i went to with my dad. it was about tropicalía, which was this movement that was attached to this band that was also a visual arts and political movement and there were beautiful installations works that make you feel like you are in brazil but didn’t really think like arts i’ve seen before or that i’ve been taught of what art should look like. there weren’t paintings or sculptures, it was kind of like all spatial installation works as if they’ve taken a scene that was happening in a village in brazil and they planted in this gallery. i just remember really liking this atmosphere and this idea that art can kind of be anything. it’s more to do with what people are willing to legitimise and pay attention to and actually i often find the context surrounding something as interesting if not more than the work itself.
y: how do you nourish your creativity?
b: i think taking time away from normal life is really useful. it’s actually the second time that i’m doing an artist residency. I find it incredibly nourishing and good for me in every possible way. so, being in an interesting and inspiring environment that has both a sense of excitement and novelty but also a sense of calm, is really what helps me nourishing my creativity. i also try to bring things in my everyday life such as creating a tidy & clear space, light some candle and put on music to make things pleasurable. i enjoy as well going to exhibitions, reading, talking to people,…
y: what are your different practices?
b: i write for magazines as well as brands, do lots of editing and work for people who are making books, on either the development of the ideas…i also teach graphic design and illustration and curating.i was working on the istanbul design biennale which opened in october 2020 and kind of run until mid 2021. it was a really nice project because it’s kind of taking the same skills of making a book but instead of a page it’s a city, and kind of think about how different ideas and different projects relate to different spaces and settings, in that one place. it was really nice working with a group of people learning from each other.
y: what’s a typical day in your daily life?
b: as a free-lance, i’m quite flexible. however, i really enjoy structure and having a routine. i’ve been sharing a studio with a group of people who then have become friends for five years now and it has been really helpful. we have a very good balance of quiet time and respect each other work mode.it’s like having colleagues.
y: do you feel like your turkish heritage has influenced your creativity?
b: i feel like it’s kind of in my work it’s like rather than to do with turkish symbols and visual language specifically it’s more to with this idea of crossing between different cultures, ways of thinking, approaches to living and just like really understanding the idea of that there is no only one way of doing things with anything and always wanting to challenge any kind of like definitive idea of like something is the right way or the only way, or the only interpretation, or the only version.
y: and to finish, what would you tell to your five-years younger self? :)
b: i think be open to try things out, make more space for yourself and don’t let the city defines your pace in life. go to art residencies sooner. be in the sun. give yourself time and space. trust yourself to work things out even when it feels unsteady. trust you instinct.
a conversation with arts & culture writer + curator billie muraben during her artist residency at casa balandra, mallorca, april 2022
