Dame Maria Paula Figueiroa Rego was a Portuguese-British visual artist known particularly for her paintings and prints based on storybooks.
Swallows the Poisoned Apple (1995)
Her art delved into human comedy from an uncharted female point of view.
The Maids, 1987
Rego studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, and was an exhibiting member of The London Group.
The Interrogator's Garden (2000)
In 1989, when the residency scheme restarted, she became the second artist-in-residence at the National Gallery in London.
Paula Rego’s Studio.
The family was divided in 1936 when her father was posted to work in the United Kingdom. Rego's parents left her behind in Portugal in the care of her grandmother until 1939.
Dancing Ostriches (triptych), 1995
Rego's grandmother was to become a significant figure in her life, as she learned from her grandmother and the family maid many of the traditional folktales that would one day make their way into her art work.
There and Back Again
Rego spent much of her career focusing on women's rights and abortion rights. She began the series of ten pastels known as Untitled: The Abortion Pastels.
Girl with a Foetus (2005)
"Whether she's tackling war, or 'honour' killing, nothing escapes her awareness of the challenges of life… She's shocking sometimes, and exciting – but that's one of the roles of art."
Art historian and curator- Catherine Lampert
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