WHAT? Paula Rego: Story Line

WHERE? Victoria Miro, 16 Wharf Road, London N1 7RW

WHEN? Now until 23 May

WHY GO? For devotees of drawing. Portuguese artist Paula Rego, who died in 2022, never ceases to evoke an emotional reaction. Her eternal quest to reflect humanity through art has awarded her a special place in the hearts of fans.

Hardly a year goes by without a tribute, and this major exhibition of Rego’s drawings, from the 1950s onwards, is especially significant, as it’s accompanied by notes, letters and sketchbooks, and with a new book written by her son Nick Willing, who directed the acclaimed 2017 film about his mother.

Every little detail counts. Rego’s lifetime of work is documented through her drawings in pen and ink, Conté, charcoal and pencil. Many are preliminary sketches for larger famous paintings like The Cadet and His Sister (1988), and all reveal her subversive humour as she portrays domesticity with all its ups and downs.

Relationships are explored through her drawings, from psychologically charged drama to expressive movement through dance, the subject of one of her most famous paintings.

Fans will remember Rego’s residency at the National Gallery and Crivelli’s Garden, a mural featuring family, friends and museum staff; many of those preliminary drawings are on display.

Poignantly, the exhibition ends with a simple drawing made when Rego was 80, of her granddaughter a study for The Eagle Princess, an epic work of art.

IN THE KNOW Observe the artist at work. Watch a snippet of Nick Willing’s film about his mother. Rego, modest and unassuming, draws from life: “Every day I perch up on a stool and I draw.” The exhibition is testament to her brilliance as a visual storyteller.