Mirka Mora is undoubtedly one of Melbourne’s most-loved and revered artists, largely defining what we have come to understand as our city’s creative history.

In the 1950s and 60s, the studio occupied by Mirka and her husband Georges Mora at nine Collins Street was renowned for its wild parties and infamous guests, including some of Australia’s greatest artistic talent such as John Perceval, Sidney Nolan, and John and Sunday Reed.

This Thursday evening an exhibition of Mirka’s work, ‘Mirka Mora: Reflections on Love’, will open at her son’s gallery in Richmond, William Mora Galleries. Featuring a selection of Mirka’s charcoals and pastels on paper from 1966 – 1983, the exhibition will run until March 2nd, which is just a couple of weeks before Mirka’s 90th birthday!

Four years ago Lucy and photographer Sean Fennessy had the pleasure of speaking to and photographing Mirka in her home/studio, and the interview remains a resounding and unanimous favourite amongst the TDF staff. Here’s an extract from that piece – Mirka on what she considers her greatest achievements:

‘Well, my three sons and my lover. That’s four things. Got nothing to do with painting does it!!? (laughs). Actually, that’s got a lot of things to do with painting. Because to be a painter you have to be a complete human being, don’t you? Or a photographer, or a writer, you have to be fulfilled in all ways… otherwise, your brain is empty like a pancake. I don’t want pancake in my brain!

It’s very difficult painting, I can’t even talk about it really. Because I want to be the boss on my canvas, but I’m not. So that’s what’s uncanny, that’s where the mystery of producing a painting is.’

‘Mirka Mora: Reflections on Love’
February 8th to March 2nd 
Wednesday to Friday, 10am to 4pm (or by appointment) 
William Mora Galleries
60 Tanner Street, Richmond, Melbourne.