The Portuguese-British artist Paula Rego (1935–2022) has emerged as one of the most singular figurative painters of recent decades. An activist, feminist, and creator of sumptuous and unsettling images, she has exerted a palpable influence in the art scenes of her native Portugal and the United Kingdom, where she chose to make her home. When she died in 2022, she left a sizable oeuvre that reflects her interest in investigating “power games and hierarchies”—avowedly one of her favorite subjects.
The extensive monographic exhibition Paula Rego. Power Games at the Kunstmuseum Basel singles out this central interest of the artist in the dynamics of power as its leitmotif. It is the first museum exhibition devoted to Rego’s work in the German-speaking countries and the first major monographic show since her death. Presenting around 120 paintings and pastels as well as several figures (‘bonecos’) and documents, the visually stunning exhibition invites visitors to explore Rego’s unforgettable universe and will help broad audiences gain a better understanding of this eminent artist’s work.
