Premier shaking hands with Mirka's son

Au revoir, dear Mirka, a ‘bright light’ who changed Melbourne forever

The family of late Melbourne artist Mirka Mora plans to establish a museum to celebrate her life and works.

The announcement was made in front of more than 2000 people at the State Memorial for a woman who Premier Daniel Andrews said ‘‘brought joy to everything she did’’.

The crowd in St Kilda’s Palais Theatre laughed and cried in a joyful tribute, with images of her vivid paintings screened on stage.

Outrageous tales were told of a larger-than-life Mirka, who died aged 90 on August 27. Her friend, arts patron Carrillo Gantner, told how she lifted her gown and flashed her body when he visited her in hospital.

Her eldest son, filmmaker Philippe, said on birthdays she would smash her face into the cake and say ‘‘anyone who didn’t eat the cake after that, did not love her’’.

 

Read the full article by Carolyn Webb at the Sydney Morning Herald.