Few artists in Australia are held in such affectionate public regard as Mirka Mora. Narrowly avoiding Auschwitz during World War II, she left France in the early 1950s with husband Georges and settled in Melbourne. There they ran three cafe-restaurants which became magnets for artists, writers and intellectuals. A self-taught painter, Mirka observed and absorbed the works of her friends and contemporaries. John Perceval's flamboyance, Arthur Boyd's naturalness, Charles Blackman's poetry and Joy Hester's passion were all inspirations.
This is a delightfully eccentric account of a life lived to the utmost, of the way an artist works and the way in which life feeds art. It celebrates the highs and lows of Mirka's bohemian existence, her lovers, work, family - and the rich array of characters who were drawn into her world by her intelligence, generosity and flair for outrageousness.
