Małgorzata Mirga-Tas review – vivid, joyful stitchings from the Pole who shook Venice

Tate St Ives, Cornwall is currently showcasing a remarkable series of fabric collages by Polish artist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, who is known for her ability to blend art with activism. This exhibition pays a heartfelt tribute to the Roma community of Czarna Góra and the suffering they have endured, underscoring the stories and resilience of Roma lives, particularly those of Roma women.

Mirga-Tas first captured international attention at the 2022 Venice Biennale, where she made history as the first Romani artist to represent a country at this prestigious event. Her innovative use of domestic textiles—such as old clothes, rugs, patterned bedsheets, and curtains—created a vivid and transformative presentation that merged art history, mythology, and astrology with imagery of her community. It was a striking debut that has since led to increased demand for her work.

The final gallery at Tate St Ives features six portraits from her series “Siukar Manusia” or “Wonderful People.” These works depict figures against deep indigo backdrops, many of whom are survivors of the Holocaust, a period during which a significant portion of Europe’s Romani population was decimated. Among the portraits, we see Augustyn Gabor, a sharp-dressed violinist, tenderly holding his young daughter, and Krystyna Gil, who survived a concentration camp as a child, portrayed in her later years with a face marked by life’s experiences, seated in a vibrant floral skirt.

Mirga-Tas’s subjects are indeed contemplative, reflecting lives marked by hardship, yet her artistic approach brings a buoyant joy to the work. While the faces and hands are painted, their clothing and surroundings are crafted from real fabric, adorned with actual buttons and trims. For instance, Krystyna Gil’s lampshade features a tasselled fringe, and a bouquet in Anna Gil’s hands seems to dance with a breeze, scattering petals across the canvas, along with her charmingly rotund husband, Jan.

Her playful techniques include placing stitched figures on actual crumpled rugs or designing flowing shawls that extend off the edge of the artwork, even creating elaborate necklaces from sparkling decorations. A three-panel screen features a portrait of her mother, surrounded by friendly chickens, while glittery purple slippers rest on the ground next to her.

The freestanding screens, set against a rich ultramarine backdrop, create a striking space within the gallery. This exhibition is markedly different from her Venice showcase, featuring a more focused presentation where works are isolated against white walls. This deliberate choice emphasizes each textile collage, inviting a deeper contemplation of their significance, albeit at the expense of a more immersive vibe.

Mirga-Tas engages with historical imagery that often perpetuates stereotypes about Romani people. She transforms these outdated representations into her own vibrant narratives. An exhibition highlight includes a grand back wall that replicates some of the visual impact from Venice, showcasing new works that reimagine romanticized depictions of Roma women.

Naming holds particular significance in her work, as several fabric collages reinterpret images from “Les Bohémiens,” a series by Jacques Callot. None of the original artworks feature Roma artists, nor do they present named characters, relying instead on fantastical narrative stereotypes.

Through her art, Mirga-Tas aims to present an alternate history for Roma populations in Europe. Two of her commissioned portraits depict celebrated flamenco performers Juana Vargas de las Heras and Herminia Borja in the midst of performance. Even in her more personal pieces, the figures are grounded in reality, drawing from textiles often donated by her community. These fabrics interweave family histories with shared experiences, connecting us through the remnants of bedsheets, buttons, and the trimmings of slippers.

Małgorzata Mirga-Tas’s exhibition at Tate St Ives will run until January 5, 2025, offering a unique and powerful exploration of identity and resilience within the Roma community.