Paula Rego was a Portuguese-British visual artist known for her paintings and prints based on storybooks.
“I cannot abide the idea of blame in relation to this act. What each woman suffers in having to do it is enough.”
Born in Lisbon in 1935, she studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London and was an exhibiting member of the London Group alongside David Hockney and Frank Auerbach. She was the first artist-in-residence at the National Gallery in London in 1990. Her work evolved from abstract towards representational, favoring pastels over oils for much of her career. It often reflects feminism, colored by folk-themes from her native Portugal. In 2010 she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II.
Her work often explores themes of feminism, folklore, and the human condition.
She is known for her powerful depictions of women in situations of distress or power, such as in her series “The Abortion Pastels.” She created this series in response to Portugal’s 1998 referendum on abortion, expressing her indignation at the criminalisation of women. The series shows women in various positions of pain and vulnerability. She also created works like “Dog Women,” where women are depicted behaving like dogs, challenging conventional ideas of femininity.
She has exhibited widely, including a retrospective at Tate Britain in 2005.
Her work is held in major collections, including 46 works at the Tate Gallery, and she was commissioned by the Royal Mail to produce a set of Jane Eyre stamps. She lives and works in London. Her art is a powerful and often unsettling exploration of the female experience.
Paula Rego is a celebrated artist whose work has made a significant contribution to contemporary art, particularly through her feminist perspective and her unique narrative style. Her art continues to challenge and inspire audiences around the world.
