Collection

The painting Sisters (Phenia) depicts four women linked by a colourful chain of fabrics. One of them hangs out the laundry, another weaves braids from scraps of cloth, the third unfurls a sheet of material, and the fourth works on a sewing machine. The work was created on the basis of several photos made during the preparations for the exhibition Pany Chłopy Chłopy Pany (Lords peasants peasants lords) in 2016 at the Sądecki Ethnographic Park in Nowy Sącz. Nearly all the women from the artist’s family assembled then to help her prepare a site-specific work. With their combined forces, they created patchworks which they used to cover several Roma homes lying to the side of the ethnographic park (and to the side of the museum’s narrative). The work was a gesture of care as well as drawing attention to structures that are a major part of the Romani heritage.

The situation depicted in the painting Sisters is a typical example of the collective process of work on Mirga-Tas’s projects. The women treat their shared sewing as an occasion for togetherness and an escape from everyday routine, but also as a social mission toward empowerment of the image of the Roma—a major aspect of the work of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas. Her works can serve as examples of femmage, a term coined by American women artists for techniques, such as collage, assemblage and photomontage, practised by women in traditional societies as well as in contemporary art, blurring the boundaries between them.

Visual artist. Graduate of the Faculty of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. She creates sculptures and patchworks from textiles and clothing, often coming from family and friends and reflecting their favourite apparel. The distinct technique of her work is characterized by eclectic, carefully selected materials and an unusual play of patterns and colours. In her work she presents individuals and historical events important for the Romani society, as well as scenes from the everyday life of her family and neighbours.

She is the organizer and curator of the Romani Art project and the annual International Event of Roma Art in Czarna Góra “Jaw Dikh!” (Come, see!) She is involved in combating exclusion and discrimination against the Romani as well as dispelling stereotypes through artistic actions. She took part in the 3^rd Art Encounters Biennial in Timișoara, Romania (2019) and the 11^th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art (2020). She lives and works in the village of Czarna Góra.