Victoria Miro is hosting the largest exhibition of Paula Rego’s drawings to date, curated by the artist’s son, Nick Willing. Spanning from the 1950s until her death in 2022, the show features intimate pencil sketches, pastels, and ink drawings that reveal the foundational narratives of her career, including her early childhood sketches, her fierce opposition to the Salazar dictatorship, and her advocacy for women's rights.
This exhibition matters because it highlights the raw, intuitive power of Rego’s draftsmanship, which often serves as the emotional blueprint for her monumental paintings. By focusing on studies for iconic works like 'The Policeman’s Daughter' and her 'Abortion' series, the show provides a rare look at her technical process and her ability to convey profound human suffering and defiance through subtle gestures and delicate lines.