Paula Rego's Posthumous Venice Exhibition Reimagines Mary

Victoria Miro's Venice venue hosts a posthumous exhibition of Paula Rego (1935-2022), focusing on her series 'Nossa Senhora' commissioned in 2002 by Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio for the Palácio de Belém chapel. The show, opened in April, includes paintings and watercolors that reinterpret Marian iconography from a feminist perspective, depicting Mary as a tangible, earthly woman experiencing childbirth pain and grief. Rego's work challenges centuries-old stereotypes, restoring agency to a central Christian figure while maintaining her own faith. The exhibition underscores the void left by the artist, who remained loyal to her poetic vision until the end.