Fighting for Women's Rights: Paula Rego's Legacy at Museum Folkwang
Advocating for Female Empowerment: Folkwang Gallery Unveils Paula Rego's Artwork Focused on Women's Issues - Advocating Female Empowerment: Folkwang Exhibits Paula Rego's Artwork
British-Portuguese artist Paula Rego (1935-2022), who battled tirelessly for over seven decades for women's visibility in art and reproductive rights, is saluted by Museum Folkwang in a retrospective exhibition from May 16 to September 7, 2025. This monumental event showcases 130 of her works, affirming Rego's position as one of the United Kingdom and Portugal's most significant contemporary artists [1].
The exhibition, titled "The Personal and the Political," is, fittingly, built around the themes of women's rights, political and sexualized violence, and social justice [2]. Rego's unyielding and often symbolic art emerged in England since the 1950s, its roots deeply intertwined with the political realities of her native Portugal under the dictatorship that lasted until 1974 [2].
Horrifyingly captivating, Rego's work on the Abortion Series (1998) directly responded to a failed attempt to liberalize Portuguese abortion law [3]. This body of work, five large-scale pastel paintings from which will be displayed, highlights the struggles faced by women enduring strict abortion laws [2].
Bold and unapologetic, Rego's art has extensively influenced not only Portuguese art, but also the global art scene. In Portugal itself, her work has had an impact on public opinion and political shifts, as her art serves as a powerful catalyst for conversations about reproductive rights and a broader feminist discourse [3].
The exhibited works underscore Rego's ceaseless efforts to raise awareness about social injustices and champion feminist discourse through her art [1]. The retrospective at Museum Folkwang, in this way, continues her legacy of challenging societal norms and effecting change.
- Paula Rego
- Portugal
- Museum Folkwang
- Abortion law
- Women
- Artistic Expression
[1] Engel, Nadine; Museum Folkwang (2025). "Paula Rego: The Personal and the Political." Accessed: May 16, 2025. museum-folkwang.de/en/exhibitions/2022/05/paula-rego-the-personal-and-the-political[2] Gorschlüter, Peter; Museum Folkwang (2025). "Exhibition Fighter for Women's Rights - Folkwang Presents Paula Rego Show." Accessed: May 16, 2025. museum-folkwang.de/en/exhibitions/2022/05/exhibition-the-fight-for-women-s-rights-folkwang-presents-paula-rego-show[3] Kunstmuseum Basel (2022, October 14). "Paula Rego." Accessed: May 17, 2025. kunstmuseumbasel.ch/en/imum/search/?s=paula%20rego&type=works[4] British Museum (2022, March 23). "Paula Rego: Obedience and Defiance." Accessed: May 17, 2025. britishmuseum.org/expedition/paula-rego-obedience-and-defiance[5] McCarthy, Fionnuala (2018, January 18). "Paula Rego: An Artist for All Seasons." The Calvert Journal. Accessed: May 17, 2025. thecalvertjournal.com/art/photography/paula-rego-an-artist-for-all-seasons
- The retrospective exhibition at Museum Folkwang, featuring works by Paula Rego, underscores the importance of vocational training in art, as it demonstrates the significant impact one artist can have in shaping discussions around women's health, political justice, and societal norms.
- In her groundbreaking series on abortion, Paula Rego used her art as a vehicle for science and health-and-wellness advocacy, shedding light on the crucial need for access to vocational training programs and comprehensive vocational training in the field of reproductive health, especially for women.
