Paula Rego, the brave and powerful British artist of Portuguese origin, rose to fame slowly and with great determination, when few recognized her tremendous talent. She studied art in London, where she also met her husband, Victor Willing, an important artist in his own right. In this personal portrait of her, Rego opens up about her complex life, the poverty and lack of recognition she endured, as well as the stormy relationship with the man she loved (who betrayed her, and she him). Despite their turbulent marriage, Willing supported her creativity until his death in 1988, at age 60. Today, Rego’s often unsettling figurative-expressionist work is displayed at the world’s best museums, and she doesn’t deny that, now in old age, it’s nice to finally have attained peace. Getting there required this fiercely intelligent, eccentric woman to remain dedicated to her art all along the way. Rego’s son Nick Willing created this fascinating, sensitive portrait of his mother that presents her in all her wonderful complexity.
Photo Credit © NICK WILLING
In the presence of the director
