Dame Paula Rego, a Portuguese-British visual artist, died recently at the age of 87. On June 8, the contemporary art gallery Victoria Miro broke the news through Twitter. They stated:
“It is with great regret that we announce the passing at the age of 87 of the Portuguese-born British artist Dame Paula Rego.” She died quietly this morning, surrounded by her family, at home in North London, following a brief illness. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
Her cause of death and funeral preparations have yet to be disclosed in detail.
Everything there is to know about Dame Paula Rego
Dame Maria Paula Figueiroa Rego, born January 26, 1935, studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, and was a member of the London Group. She was the first artist-in-residence at London’s National Gallery. In 1965, she was invited to take part in a group display called Six Artists at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, or ICA. Between 1971 and 1978, she held her first solo exhibition at the Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes in Lisbon, followed by seven solo exhibits in Portugal, Lisbon, and Oporto, as well as a few performances in the United Kingdom.
Rego was subsequently selected to become the National Gallery’s first Associate Artist in 1990. The remaining shows were placed in Tate Liverpool, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Tate Britain, and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Her work may be found in a variety of public and private collections throughout the globe. The British Council owns 43 of her paintings, while the Arts Council of England owns ten. The Tate Gallery in London has 46 of the Dame’s works.
In 1995, the Dame utilized pastels to rework the Snow White narrative in her artwork Swallows the Poisoned Apple. In March 2017, she was also the subject of a BBC documentary named Paula Rego: Secrets and Stories. Her son, Nick Willing, directed it. Her art was also included in the Women Painting Women show at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in 2022. She was an outspoken supporter of women’s and abortion rights. She opposed the prohibition of abortion, claiming that the anti-abortion campaign criminalized women, forcing many of them to seek possibly lethal backstreet remedies. She has three children with Victor Willing: two girls and a boy, Nick.
Twitter users pay tribute
Dame Paula Rego has established herself as a well-known visual artist throughout the years. When word of her death spread, Twitter was inundated with tributes.
Paula Rego was a fantastic and world changing artist, and grandma. She taught us how to sew, draw, put on eyeliner, and tell uncomfortable stories.
It’s an honour to have been a small part of her work, and to have her as such a huge part of my life.
It’s a sad day for many. pic.twitter.com/n3xyav6vi9
— Grace Smart (@Grace_Smart) June 8, 2022
Paula Rego RIP. You changed the world through art, you fierce, fabulous female. pic.twitter.com/73umW6eLO8
— Dr Janina Ramirez (@DrJaninaRamirez) June 8, 2022
She will be recognized for her significant contribution to the realm of visual arts. Her family members have yet to issue a formal comment.
