Paula Rego: Dance Among ThornsArtist talk
The talk is included in the museum ticket price.
Paula Rego grew up under Salazar’s dictarship in Portugal (1932-1974). At the age of 17 she left for London to study at Slade School of Art. What impact did her encounter with the British art scene have on Rego? In this conversation with Rego’s son, British film director and Head of Paula Rego Estate, Nick Willing, the audience will also hear more about Paula Rego’s resistance to Salazar’s fascist regime and her involvement in the fight to decriminalise abortion in her home country. Another topic highlighted in the conversation is her interest in fairy tales and myths, and how storytelling became an important method in her artistic practice.
Nick Willing is a British director, producer, and writer of films and television series, based in London. The son of artists Paula Rego and Victor Willing, he spent part of his childhood in Portugal. In 2017, he directed the documentary Paula Rego – Secrets and Stories.
Kari J. Brandtzæg is a senior curator at MUNCH. She holds a PhD in art history from the University of Oslo. Brandtzæg has curated exhibitions featuring Tracey Emin (2021), Rolf Stenersen (2022), Marianne Bratteli(2023), Vanessa Baird (2024), and is the curator of this Paula Rego exhibition: Dance Among Thorns.
