The Portuguese-British artist Paula Rego (1935–2022) has emerged as one of the vital singular figurative painters of latest a long time. An activist, feminist, and creator of luxurious and unsettling photos, she has exerted a palpable affect within the artwork scenes of her native Portugal and the UK, the place she selected to make her dwelling. When she died in 2022, she left a large oeuvre that displays her curiosity in investigating “energy video games and hierarchies”—avowedly considered one of her favourite topics.

The intensive monographic exhibition “Energy Video games” on the Kunstmuseum Basel singles out this central curiosity of the artist within the dynamics of energy as its leitmotif. It’s the first museum exhibition dedicated to Rego’s work within the German-speaking international locations and the primary main monographic present since her demise. Presenting round 120 work and pastels in addition to a number of figures (“bonecos”) and paperwork, the visually beautiful exhibition invitations guests to discover Rego’s unforgettable universe and can assist broad audiences acquire a greater understanding of this eminent artist’s work.

Divided into thematic sections, the present brings collectively key works from a number of a long time, together with ones during which Rego grapples with the Salazar dictatorship in Portugal. Different central motifs are associated to her involvement in activism in opposition to the restrictive abortion laws in her native nation and in opposition to British participation within the Iraq Battle. All through her oeuvre, Rego interrogates wonted hierarchies and depicts girls in numerous roles. The exhibition showcases each the spectacular pastels in massive codecs for which the artist attracts on sources of inspiration starting from literary narratives to Disney movies, and examples of her technically sensible work as a maker of effective artwork prints.

at Kunstmuseum Basel
till September 26, 2024