Paula Rego is a truly interesting artist. She is a real free spirit and one of life’s true originals. Our photograph of her, taken by JP Masclet has totally captured her spirit of naughtiness and fun. She is an incredible artist; much loved and revered. Our founders, Stephen and Jane have known Paula for many years and are delighted and flattered that she also wears our jewellery. We caught up with Paula for a little Q&A which you can read below. 

Born in Lisbon in 1935, Paula Rego left Portugal and Salazar’s oppressive dictatorship as an adolescent to study in London where she has now lived for over fifty years. Trained at the Slade School of Arts, she rubbed shoulders with the likes of Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach, and David Hockney. As a painter, she produces large pastel polyptychs with exceptional flair. Obsessed by a certain literature and cultural vision of the 19th century, both realistic and imaginary, like her fellow countryman and film director Manoel de Oliveira, Paula Rego intertwines these references (Jane Eyre, Peter Pan, Daumier, Goya, Lewis Carroll, Hogarth, Ensor, Degas, etc.) with strongly autobiographical elements and elements of real life, that of the contemporary world and its social and political issues, with a contemporary twist. Dark narratives, her paintings seem to be taken from a cruel tale and evoke women's issues in strange scenes, going against social codes. 

In this aspect, Paula Rego’s ideas reflect those of Hogarth, Goya and Grosz, questioning established conventions and revealing with irony the traits of bourgeois society embodied by family, religion and the State. Drawing her inspiration from the mannequins, dolls and masks staged in her studio, Paula Rego creates characters and animals which she transforms and distorts, thus creating large-format playlets where reality and fiction, dreams and nightmares merge.

My husband Victor Willing 

I would have done embroidery. In fact I did do some... and tapestries.

I used to feel I was a man sometimes when I was working. I wouldn’t have had to be a good girl. 

I would have been tougher instead of a pushover. 

Lord Byron. He was good looking and a very good poet.

 Yes. I did carry on without success for many many years. Nearly 50 years. 

 What is the most valuable piece of advice that anyone has ever given you that you have actually followed? 

 My husband said to me once: If you don’t know what to paint read a book. 

 This is the hardest question. I have a few things which I love... a bee necklace and a tiny cup and saucer. I like the earrings especially.

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DAME PAULA REGO WEARS

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 Next Storyteller: 

Kristian Nairn