Paula Rego's artistic universe has long been shaped by her experiences as an industrialist family's daughter in Portugal. The country, under the dictatorship of António de Oliveira Salazar for nearly three decades, was a place where freedom was curtailed and imagination ruthlessly policed.
Rego's own mother had been taken to see Martin McDonagh's play at the National Theatre in London by one of her daughters, who knew it would resonate with her. 'The brutality and beauty and humour rang very true and like something I had known all my life,' she wrote to him. The connection between Rego and McDonagh was one that was both surprising and profound, a bond forged through the stories he shared about his younger years.
One of those stories, in which an investigator sums up as 'A hundred and one ways to skewer a five-year-old', had an immediate impact on Rego. It led her to create what can only be described as disturbing works of art, featuring an unborn child held by the throat, and another with a foetus hanging from a hook, while its body is still visible inside a womb. The latter work is particularly telling, given Rego's well-documented past experiences with family trauma.
In fact, it was Rego's personal traumas that McDonagh claimed had inspired some of his own writing. His father died when he was young, and at the time, was struggling to cope with depression. This lifelong struggle seems to be reflected in one of Rego's most enigmatic works: a man who has turtles for hands.
The three-year period on which this exhibition focuses saw Rego create an astonishing number of artworks - hundreds of pastels and prints - but some have been described as her most accomplished work. It is the testament of those close to her, including her son Nick Willing, that Rego's art has long been shaped by experiences she endured during her childhood. The show at Cristea Roberts Gallery aims to shed light on this aspect of her artistic universe.
At the heart of these artworks lies a story about Rego herself - one that is both deeply personal and profoundly disturbing. It is clear that McDonagh played an important role in unlocking some of the darkest corners of Rego's imagination, though it remains unclear whether he fully comprehended what had taken place within her mind during this period.
Rego's own mother had been taken to see Martin McDonagh's play at the National Theatre in London by one of her daughters, who knew it would resonate with her. 'The brutality and beauty and humour rang very true and like something I had known all my life,' she wrote to him. The connection between Rego and McDonagh was one that was both surprising and profound, a bond forged through the stories he shared about his younger years.
One of those stories, in which an investigator sums up as 'A hundred and one ways to skewer a five-year-old', had an immediate impact on Rego. It led her to create what can only be described as disturbing works of art, featuring an unborn child held by the throat, and another with a foetus hanging from a hook, while its body is still visible inside a womb. The latter work is particularly telling, given Rego's well-documented past experiences with family trauma.
In fact, it was Rego's personal traumas that McDonagh claimed had inspired some of his own writing. His father died when he was young, and at the time, was struggling to cope with depression. This lifelong struggle seems to be reflected in one of Rego's most enigmatic works: a man who has turtles for hands.
The three-year period on which this exhibition focuses saw Rego create an astonishing number of artworks - hundreds of pastels and prints - but some have been described as her most accomplished work. It is the testament of those close to her, including her son Nick Willing, that Rego's art has long been shaped by experiences she endured during her childhood. The show at Cristea Roberts Gallery aims to shed light on this aspect of her artistic universe.
At the heart of these artworks lies a story about Rego herself - one that is both deeply personal and profoundly disturbing. It is clear that McDonagh played an important role in unlocking some of the darkest corners of Rego's imagination, though it remains unclear whether he fully comprehended what had taken place within her mind during this period.
that's like something out of a dystopian novel, but for paula rego, it was real life. and to think that martin mcdonagh's play helped her tap into all those dark emotions... it's wild how art can be both beautiful and disturbing at the same time. i love how this exhibition is shedding light on rego's childhood traumas and how they influenced her art. it's like, you can see the pain and struggle in her work, but also a sense of resilience and strength. and that turtle guy with hands? 
still gives me chills. anyway, i'm so fascinated by this part of rego's artistic universe and how it's connected to mcdonagh's own experiences. it's like, two artists, one dark past... but in a good way? 
she created like hundreds of pastels and prints in just 3 years, but some are considered her most accomplished work... honestly think it's kinda messed up that her personal traumas shaped so much of her art, especially the one with a foetus hanging from a hook 
anyways, show is open till march 2025 
I mean, Paula Rego's art always kinda freaks me out but in a good way... like it's so raw and emotional. I can imagine how experiencing all that trauma as a kid would shape your perspective on life & art. It's like her imagination just took all the darkness she went through & turned it into these hauntingly beautiful works of art 
The connection between Rego & McDonagh is wild tho, I mean who knew someone else's stories could have such an impact on their own creative process? 
So yeah, I guess it's a good thing they're doing this show to shed some light on it. But, I wonder if we'll end up romanticizing or trivialized Rego's trauma in the process... 
I don't know how Rego's mum ended up seeing this play at the National Theatre tho... sounds like it really resonated with her tho 
I'm fascinated by how artists can be shaped by their childhood experiences, and Paula Rego's story is both haunting and thought-provoking. Growing up in Portugal under a dictatorship must have been super challenging, and it's amazing that she was able to tap into those emotions through her art. 
What's also interesting to me is how Rego's art has been misunderstood by some people, who see it as just "disturbing" or "ugly." But what if that's exactly what it's meant to be – a reflection of the darkness and pain she endured? 
But honestly, can we talk about how brave she was to create these disturbing works of art? I mean, we're talking about an unborn child being held by the throat 
... it's not exactly something you can just casually depict without exploring deeper trauma 
And what's up with Rego's personal connection to McDonagh's experiences with depression? Mental health is still so stigmatized in Portugal and I'm sure her family struggles were no exception 
It's heartening to see this show at Cristea Roberts Gallery shedding light on these aspects of her artistic universe 
i mean, her experiences with family trauma are just SO raw & honest... like, one of these artworks features an unborn baby hanging from a hook 
u can feel the pain & anger radiating off it 
and it's crazy to think that martin mcdonagh's play had such a profound impact on her art... it's like they're speaking this secret language together 
And can you believe the level of detail in her artwork? Like, this unborn child being held by the throat is seriously disturbing... it's like you're right there with her, feeling all the emotions. 
The fact that Rego's art is so deeply personal and unsettling at the same time is just mind-blowing. It's like she's sharing a part of herself with us, but also leaving some things to our imagination. 
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. And I think it's cool how both McDonagh and Rego drew inspiration from each other - it just goes to show that art can be this crazy, symbiotic thing 