This fall, Tate St Ives unveils the first substantial UK exhibition dedicated to Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, an artist born in Zakopane, Poland. Raised in the Romani community of Czarna Góra, nestled at the base of the Tatra Mountains, Mirga-Tas continues to reside and work there. Her artistic narrative, deeply rooted in a feminist viewpoint and a continuous engagement with her community, actively confronts and subverts stereotypical portrayals of Roma people. She is widely recognized for her vibrant textile collages, meticulously crafted from materials and fabrics sourced from family and friends. The exhibition at Tate St Ives showcases over 25 pieces, including six brand new works displayed for the first time.
Mirga-Tas’s work highlights the quotidian experiences of her community— their relationships, alliances, and collective activities—by portraying those nearest to her, such as family members, collaborators, fellow artists, and activists. Often collaborating with other women, she constructs patchworks using materials like curtains, jewelry, handkerchiefs, shirts, and sheets, which she sews together to create what she refers to as ‘microcarriers of history.’ Additionally, she reinterprets historical artworks that have depicted Roma identity negatively, transforming them into dynamic images filled with strength and dignity. Her pieces blend realism with the creation of a visual lexicon of Romani culture, alongside abstracted scenes featuring figures and animals. The artist also revisits specific historical events, such as the Romani genocide during World War II, commemorating its victims through her work.
Notably, Mirga-Tas is the first artist of Romani heritage to have her works acquired by Tate. All three of these works are featured in the exhibition. They include Sewn with Threads (2019) and My Mother (2019), which are part of a broader 10-piece series titled Roma Madonna (2016–2020). This series depicts scenes from the everyday lives of Roma women in Poland. Both works are freestanding, folding wooden screens with three double-sided fabric panels, constructed from vivid patchworks painted with acrylic. The Three Graces (2021) is also displayed for the first time since its acquisition by Tate. This piece is based on a photograph taken in the 1980s by the artist’s uncle, Andrzej Mirga, who was the sole Roma ethnographer in Poland at that time.
The exhibition also features six portraits from her 2022 series Siukar Manusia (translating to great or wonderful people), which portray first-generation Romani inhabitants of the Nowa Huta district in eastern Kraków. These portraits range from concentration camp survivors and activists to renowned musicians, created using textiles that were found or donated. Additionally, the show includes a piece from Mirga-Tas’s 2021 Out of Egypt series, initially presented as a series of six at the Arsenal Gallery in Bialystok. In these works, she draws inspiration from early-17th-century etchings, creating her own large-scale embroidered versions using objects and textiles from her community.
One of the exhibition’s highlights is a monumental fabric panel from the 59th Venice Biennale, where Mirga-Tas was the first Romani artist to represent a country. The piece, titled June 2022, is part of her series Re-enchanting the World. This panel is one of 12, each representing a month of the year and inspired by a fresco cycle at the Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrara. It is accompanied at Tate St Ives by several other recent works and six newly created pieces, all making their debut at this exhibition.
This exhibition at Tate St Ives not only offers a comprehensive overview of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas’s artistic journey but also provides an insightful look into the rich cultural tapestry and historical narrative of the Romani community through her innovative and evocative textile art.
