Rupture and Continuity

A new exhibition of Paula Rego's works is going on in Côa, Portugal. Including, of course, her Jane Eyre series.

Paula Rego: rutura e continuidade

Curadoria: Catarina Alfaro

Museu do Côa

December 1, 2023 - July 28, 2024

Paula Rego (1935-2022) is one of the most globally renowned contemporary Portuguese artists. She resided and worked in London, where she studied painting at the Slade School of Fine Art from 1952 to 1956, developing a distinctive figurative language. Her exploration of fantasy and imagination in her work finds greater significance through a vast universe of stories—from traditional Portuguese tales to fairy tales; from Portuguese and English literature to plays written for the theater or adaptations of these stories for Disney cinema.

Her rebellious personality and advocacy for freedom of expression led her to declare independence from the artistic movements of her time and to a constant redefinition of her figurative language. This distinctive trait compelled her to continuously subvert conventions and limits imposed by any artistic tradition or specific technical constraints.

This exhibition showcases works from the period of Paula Rego's recognition and affirmation in London during the 1980s. It unfolds by presenting works that justified the artist's international recognition, including landmark series in her career, such as the lithographs of Jane Eyre or the set of prints and paintings "Sem Titulo" from 1998–2000, commonly known as the abortion series.

Thus, a different approach to the artist's body of work is proposed, highlighting key periods in the construction of her figurative universe, with particular emphasis on her printed work, directly relating it to the inductive purpose of the Museum of Côa.

Via Jornal O Interior.