In memory of William Mora (1953-2023) we revisit a very special chat we had in 2022 about creating the limited edition Kip&Co x Mirka Mora collection.
Mirka Mora is more than an incredible artist, she is a cultural icon. Born in Paris in 1928, she migrated to Melbourne in the 1950s. 1950s Melbourne was a sleepy town, and Mirka's magnetic and cosmopolitan sensibility fuelled a bohemian subculture that made the Melbourne we know and love today. We’ve been honoured to work with Mirka’s son William, and daughter-in-law Anna, who have guided us generously through this special collaboration.
We hope you love this range as much as we do, it’s been a delight to bring a small piece of Mirka's insatiable joie de vivre and tenacious energy to you.
1. How did the collaboration come about?
Kip&Co approached us in the initial stages and it turned out we had some mutual friends who spoke very highly of their talent and integrity and it went from there.
2. Why Kip&Co?
Having mutual friends who spoke so highly of Kip&Co’s talent and integrity was what counted. And then when we eventually met, it was Kip&Co’s respect and love of Mirka’s work that was really the tipping point for us.
3. What is the story behind some of the artworks in the range?
Mirka’s art all talks to the same important themes - her love of humanity, her eternal hope and resilience. The faces in Mirka's art are the faces she saw when she left the concentration camp, her way of dealing with the trauma of that experience was to create this magical world of resilience and love. She chose the path of hope not bitterness - she always believed the power of love would win.
Piglets of Anlaby is the biggest painting Mirka ever did, over the longest period - dated 1962 - 1997. That’s very much about the faces behind the fence watching her being released from the camp and the very next day, everyone who remained was shipped off to to Auschwitz.
4. What do you think Mirka would have made of this collection?
She would’ve loved the colour and she would’ve seen the whole collection as a work of art. She would’ve had the bedspreads on her bed, the onesies on her dolls, and never taken off the jumper.
5. What’s your defining / fondest memory or Mirka?
My memories continue to grow as we discover new works in the legacy Mirka has left us. One of my fondest memories is how courageously she lived her life. I’m still trying to work out when she had time to do all the art she did! She loved long lunches, shopping, having people for tea. Every moment was to be cherished and made joyful. Because she’d lost her own childhood, she continually tried to take moments back to childhood, recapturing that innocence.
6. What is something about Mirka that people wouldn’t already know?
If I told you then people would know, and we have to keep some things within the family!
