Kiba Lumberg

Kiba Lumberg, real name Kirsti Leila Annikki Lumberg (born 27 May 1956), is a Finnish artist and author of Finnish Kale descent. She is known as a critic of the traditional Roma culture.

Biography

Lumberg was born in Lappeenranta. She ran away from her family at the age of 13 because of fear, violence, and subjugation. Many of her works are inspired by her childhood experience.^[1] Lumberg gained nationwide publicity in 1997 when a television mini-series of the traditional Kale life, based on her screenplay, titled Tumma ja hehkuva veri, was shown on television. In 2007, Lumberg received death threats after criticizing the Romani culture on television.^[2]

Along with other prominent members of the Finnish Roma community, Lumberg, singer Rainer Friman (fi), and author Veijo Baltzar criticized Miranda Vuolasranta, President of the European Roma & Traveller Forum, accusing her of downplaying problems and excluding critical voices.^[3][4][5] In 2008 Vuolasranta was forced to pay a fine after Lumberg accused her of defamation of character.^[6]

Lumberg was a candidate for the Left Alliance in the Finnish Parliament elections in 2007^[7] and in 2009 to European Parliament.^[8]

References