Małgorzata Mirga-Tas is a Romani visual artist, educator and activist. Born in 1978, she lives and works in Czarna Góra, a village at the foot of the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland.
Mirga-Tas is known for her textile collages created with materials and fabrics that are mainly gathered from family and friends. Her visual storytelling comes from a feminist perspective and challenges stereotypical representations of Roma people. Often working in collaboration with other women, she sews pieces of clothing, handkerchiefs, tablecloths, curtains and sheets together to create vivid portraits and scenes from everyday life.
She also re-imagines artworks across the centuries that have presented Roma identity in negative ways and transforms them into vibrant images imbued with strength and dignity. In this way, Mirga-Tas reinforces Roma as both a contemporary community and one that has a rich heritage on its own terms.
Mirga-Tas was the official Polish representative at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022 – the first Roma artist to represent any country.
This will be the artist’s first major museum exhibition in the UK.
Małgorzata Mirga-Tas is organised by Tate St Ives in collaboration with the Whitworth.