'Songs of the Roma' is a book of poems, composed by the Polish Romani poet Papusza, which I illustrated and designed as part of the first classroom project during my course at NID.
The project began with my interest, as a lay person, in the lives of the Romani people of Europe, whose unique but often tragic experiences have shaped their collective identity over the years. With ancestry and traditions that can be traced back to various nomadic tribes in India, the Roma are today caught between their 'Gypsy' past and the many challenging ways forward, and still face daily persecution and struggles.
During the initial research and exploration phase, I came across the poems of the great poet Bronislawa Wajs, more widely known as 'Papusza.' Her voice seemed to be the perfect representation of the Roma, and the simple yet heartfelt songs capture the spirit of her people with clarity and honesty.
