In the summer of 2004, Paula Rego began an excitable correspondence with Martin McDonagh, the playwright and director behind her play "The Pillowman". The investigation into their relationship featured two brothers under interrogation for the torture and murder of children, one of whom was a writer whose stories were summarised as: "A hundred and one ways to skewer a fucking five-year-old."
Rego had been taken to see the play at the National Theatre in London by her daughter, who knew it would resonate with her. The brutality, beauty, and humour rang true to Rego's life, especially given her experiences growing up under Portugal's dictatorship of António de Oliveira Salazar.
In response to McDonagh's stories, Rego created a series of artworks that explored themes of trauma, family, and the human condition. These works were based on the stories McDonagh had shared with her, but they also drew upon Rego's own life experiences and obsessions. One of these works features a woman slumped in a bathroom with fancy floral wallpaper, cradling a foetus in her lap - a theme that echoes Rego's own experiences with abortion.
The artist's connection to McDonagh is striking, particularly given the vastly different stages of their lives. As an art student at London's Slade in the early 1950s, Rego had experienced backstreet abortions and other traumas. She went on to found a museum dedicated to her work, the Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, which showcases her most accomplished works.
Rego's artworks from this period are marked by their darkness and complexity. One of these is "The Pillowman", a triptych featuring a life-size doll made of cushions stuffed into old tights - a model for Rego's central panel. The work explores themes of cruelty, beauty, and humour, reflecting the complexities of human nature.
A more enigmatic piece features a man with turtles in place of hands. Rego never explained this work to her son Nick Willing, who believes it has something to do with the lifelong depression she suffered from, which was exacerbated by her father's struggles before her.
The exhibition at Cristea Roberts Gallery highlights Rego's most productive period between 2005 and 2007, producing an enormous number of pastels and prints inspired by McDonagh's stories. This collaboration resulted in some of Rego's most accomplished work, according to Willing, and is a testament to the power of art to bring people together.
Ultimately, no picture book materialised from this collaboration, but the impact of Rego's artworks on her career cannot be overstated. As McDonagh says, being a part of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century is "mind-blowing" and he still can't believe it.
Rego had been taken to see the play at the National Theatre in London by her daughter, who knew it would resonate with her. The brutality, beauty, and humour rang true to Rego's life, especially given her experiences growing up under Portugal's dictatorship of António de Oliveira Salazar.
In response to McDonagh's stories, Rego created a series of artworks that explored themes of trauma, family, and the human condition. These works were based on the stories McDonagh had shared with her, but they also drew upon Rego's own life experiences and obsessions. One of these works features a woman slumped in a bathroom with fancy floral wallpaper, cradling a foetus in her lap - a theme that echoes Rego's own experiences with abortion.
The artist's connection to McDonagh is striking, particularly given the vastly different stages of their lives. As an art student at London's Slade in the early 1950s, Rego had experienced backstreet abortions and other traumas. She went on to found a museum dedicated to her work, the Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, which showcases her most accomplished works.
Rego's artworks from this period are marked by their darkness and complexity. One of these is "The Pillowman", a triptych featuring a life-size doll made of cushions stuffed into old tights - a model for Rego's central panel. The work explores themes of cruelty, beauty, and humour, reflecting the complexities of human nature.
A more enigmatic piece features a man with turtles in place of hands. Rego never explained this work to her son Nick Willing, who believes it has something to do with the lifelong depression she suffered from, which was exacerbated by her father's struggles before her.
The exhibition at Cristea Roberts Gallery highlights Rego's most productive period between 2005 and 2007, producing an enormous number of pastels and prints inspired by McDonagh's stories. This collaboration resulted in some of Rego's most accomplished work, according to Willing, and is a testament to the power of art to bring people together.
Ultimately, no picture book materialised from this collaboration, but the impact of Rego's artworks on her career cannot be overstated. As McDonagh says, being a part of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century is "mind-blowing" and he still can't believe it.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that Paula Rego's collab with Martin McDonagh was like a match made in heaven 
. Both are masters of storytelling, but from different angles - McDonagh through words, Rego through art 
. It's wild to see how their different mediums came together to create something so raw and honest about human trauma and beauty 
. And what I love is that Rego's art wasn't just a direct response to McDonagh's stories, but also drew from her own experiences and obsessions 
. The exhibition at Cristea Roberts Gallery shows us how much power these collaborations have - even if no picture book came out of it 
, the artworks speak volumes about the impact of their collaboration 
. I'm definitely stoked to see more of Rego's work (and McDonagh's too 
), and I think we're all lucky to have had a glimpse into this incredible partnership 
I mean, who wouldn't want to create art about torture and murder? 
I guess it's good that McDonagh got his feelings out in a somewhat 'productive' way. And yay for him getting to say he was part of creating some "accomplished" work! 
Like, we all know how much talent is hidden behind a playwright's stories... 
. Paula Rego's artwork is already iconic, but you have to wonder if she'd be as "accomplished" without McDonagh's stories to fuel her creativity 
. And what's with the lack of a picture book materialized from their collaboration? Just more proof that most art collaborations are just a marketing ploy 
. I'm also a bit skeptical about how much Rego actually drew inspiration from McDonagh's dark stories... maybe she was just looking for someone to validate her own twisted obsessions 
.
. It's like... no matter what happens in life, we're all connected through our experiences and emotions 
.
It's like she's saying we're all just one big messy human family, with our quirks and traumas and stuff. 
I mean, can you imagine being part of something so special and powerful? The fact that Rego was inspired by McDonagh's stories is like... wow. It just goes to show how art can take us on such amazing journeys. 
! It's amazing how art can be born out of dark places, like trauma and pain. Her paintings are so expressive and raw, it's like you can feel the emotions she's pouring onto the canvas 
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! The way Rego's artworks are layered with trauma, family, and human condition themes is just so powerful 
. I mean, have you seen the doll in "The Pillowman" triptych? It's like, whoa... made of cushions stuffed into old tights, what even is that?! 
The way McDonagh's stories inspired Rego's work is fascinating too - it's clear they were connected on a deep level. I love how her art doesn't shy away from the darkness, but also finds beauty and humour in the complexities of human nature 
.