Feminist spirituality and Roma artistic activism: the Afterlife of the uncanonised Saint Sara Kali

Abstract

This paper focuses on the artistic-political renderings of the sacred feminine deity of the Romani people, Sara Kali. While her genealogy is shrouded in mystery and controversy, Sara Kali is regarded as the uncanonised saint protector of oppressed, disenfranchised and vulnerable peoples, as well as the protector of pregnant women. Venerated by some Romanies in both spiritual registers of sainthood and audacious political activism, Sara Kali epitomises motherly love and feminine strength. The argument posited in this paper is that Sara Kali fosters a culture of commemoration, materialised in contemporary artistic productions whose political underpinnings resist the unbridled Romaphobia and its venomous consequences. We argue that the cultural artistic memory of Sara Kali becomes a political tool in empowering Romanies to express their identity concerns as well as centuries of oppression and injustice.