Mira T. interview - "Col Blanc série 2"

     Ever since she entered our selection, with her very first artworks, the “Col Blanc » series, Mira T has not ceased to move and amaze us. She touched us with her emotionally charged portraits of women.

     And, she astonished us by her progression, always digging deeper within herself for an ever more intense result…For our visitors’ delight, moved by Mira T.’s ability to sublimate WOMEN. It is women that inspire her and whom she portrays through various emotions she pervades in her artworks; without pretence, equally intense and gentle, and with her recognizable, authentic style.

      Until now, Mira T. approached each artwork like the women she approached individually. But in her latest series “Col blanc 2”, she leads us from one individual to a group. Through two artworks made up of several paintings, Mira T. pays a tribute not only to Woman, but to ALL Women who share the same struggle : their status.

      Mira T. explains, in this Art Traffik interview, the reasons behind her choices and initiative, and she gives us keys to deciphering this magnificent series…filled with meaning that go beyond its aesthetics.

- Hello Mira. Your new series is composed of two artworks, « Col Blanc 2.1 » and « Col Blanc 2.2 », each also composed of several portraits… Why ? 

- Why again « Col Blanc » for this new series ?

        « Because the white collar is the distinctive and metaphoric symbol of power of men in the higher ranks of society. To don these women with such a collar, they who yearn for freedom, empowers them. This series being in line with the previous one, I kept the same title to compile the artworks, all the while taking the tribute to women, Woman, a step further. »

- Why this very particular format, and going as far as to deciding the way they are to be hung ?

      « I wanted to translate a unity through the sum of several individuals and, through each, to tell their story, the story of Woman. For it is with the efforts of their individual combat that they improve the status of women as a whole. This is why I created this composition : on the one hand, a painting with these women assembled together, and on the other, individual portraits; the whole forming an indivisible artwork. Two groups, two phases, two steps…an ensemble of artworks that represent these women before the struggle, and the other in which we see them (or not), after the fight.

       This explains the arrangement and composition of the paintings. The women are not all represented in the individual paintings or in the assembled group. Some have disappeared or are absent, leaving a void…symbolizing the women who, unfortunately, were too exhausted to pursue their combat to the end. Some will emerge with scars while others will never get back up. »

- When you painted them, how much of your emotions or theirs were reflected ?

       « Emotions characterize my work. Although the first series was a projection of my own emotions, this series was a true challenge for me because this time around I wanted to portray the emotions of others, all the while being true to the testimonies which inspired me. My emotions are found in the way I see them and the end result, always keeping in mind the intense discussions we had and which came to breed these artworks. To transcribe the emotions of these women with whom I felt a connection, a bond, was very unsettling and exhilarating, but also overwhelming. »

- How do you choose these women ? What is your creative process ?

      « This series is the fruit of testimonials, encounters, discussions…Some of the women are my friends, others I met after having called out for testimonies on Instagram. All these encounters were beautiful and poignant, but helas and with deep frustration, I could not cite them all. My selection was guided by my will to illustrate, as a whole, the diverse combats fought by women, whether they be psychological, physical, societal, health-related…and, above all, it is about the connection and the emotional intensity I felt when I conversed with these women. Distraught by some, my paintbrush was guided by (raw) emotions. These are the women I chose, chosen because of the bond and the human and emotional interaction that came about during our discussions; a way to help them in their battle but also to help myself, as a woman. Col Blanc series 2 raises questions regarding the status of women in today’s society, and it symbolizes the need to be united, ever more so today. »

- What's next ?

      « Next ? A new series which is ripening. My artworks follow the course of my personal evolution; therapeutic in my progression as a Woman. The first individual portraits exorcised my emotions while this second series approached the female identity, diverse and in its entirety; the next one, also focused on women adorned by the symbolic white collar, will explore spirituality. That which doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger and elevates us… matter, life, hardships lead us to a questioning, about ourselves, our well-being, how, why…I will come back to the unicity of the first series, like many distinct individuals, each having her own life path, soul and spirituality. Some will be alone while others will be with child or in a couple…Woman’s spiritual progression through various identities. »

Discover Mira T's artworks in our gallery in Anglet and on our website !