Unarguably one of the most important figurative artists of her generation, Arnolfini welcome you to venture into the extraordinary imagination of Dame Paula Rego RA.
Featuring over 70 prints from across Rego’s extensive career, the exhibition enters into a world where she interweaves her wit and dark humour to reimagine classic tales, creating surreal and subversive stories with not so ‘wicked’ women at their heart.
Exploring printmaking as a process that informs Rego’s multi-layered interpretations, the exhibition looks deeper at Rego’s mastery of the medium (encompassing lithography, etching and screen print) as printmaking takes on a metaphorical meaning, bringing shadowy readings to childish mischief, whereas as the harrowing practices of illegal abortion or female genital mutilation are brought out into the light.
Following on from the largest retrospective to date of the artist’s work at Tate Britain (July to October 2021), Rego makes a very welcome return to Arnolfini almost 40 years after her first exhibition with the gallery (in 1982-83), creating an opportunity for a new generation of visitors to explore the artist’s subversive stories.
