Description

Since the 1950s, Paula Rego has played a key role in redefining
figurative art in the UK and internationally. An uncompromising artist
of extraordinary imaginative power, she has revolutionised the way in
which women are represented. This stunning voulme tells the story of
Rego’s extraordinary life, highlighting the personal nature of much of
her work and the socio-political context in which it is rooted. It also
reveals the artist’s broad range of references, from comic strips to
history painting.
Featuring over 100 illustrations, including collage, paintings, largescale
pastels, ink and pencil drawings, etchings and sculpture,
including including early work from the 1950s in which Rego first
explored personal as well as social struggle, her large pastels of
single figures from the acclaimed Dog Women and Abortion series
and her richly layered, staged scenes from the 2000-10s.
The range of texts reflects the themes explored in the exhibition,
relating to the artist’s childhood memories and everyday life, the
experience of love and the loss of the beloved. It also addresses
broader socio-political issues, such as the policing of women’s
bodies, the struggle to legalise abortion, and the fight against
authoritarianism and war, from the dictatorship in Portugal to the
Iraq War. The book reflects the richness of Rego’s work, from the
socio-political context to the biographical, from her many literary
references to her vast knowledge and referencing of key historical
paintings from the Western tradition.