Announcing The Paula Rego Painting Award
We are profoundly proud to announce the launch of the Paula Rego Painting Award — a new prize within the Women in Art Prize dedicated to exceptional painting by female artists.
About Dame Paula Rego
Dame Paula Rego (1935–2022) was one of the most significant painters of the 20th and 21st centuries. Born in Lisbon, she spent most of her career in London and became celebrated for her unflinching, psychologically complex figurative paintings. Her work gave voice to women’s experiences — desire, fear, power, and defiance — with a boldness that made her one of the defining artists of her generation.
She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2010 and was one of the first living artists to have a dedicated gallery at the Tate. Her influence on generations of women painters cannot be overstated.
The Award
The Paula Rego Painting Award offers a cash prize of £1,000 to the outstanding painting entry in the Women in Art Prize. It is our honour to dedicate this award to a woman whose art changed the conversation about what painting can do and who it speaks for.