Alice Neel

At the Álvaro Siza Wing of the Serralves Museum, this exhibition brings together the work of Alice Neel (1900–1984), the American painter whose singular vision challenged the social, aesthetic and political conventions of the 20th century. Titled *Beautifully Imperfect*, the show starts from the idea that imperfection can be a form of truth and presence, rather than a flaw to be corrected.

Organized into thematic sections, the exhibition traces central themes in Neel’s work, such as intimacy, the female body, motherhood, ageing and figures often forgotten by society. Those portrayed include immigrants, LGBTQIA+ activists, Harlem workers and anonymous characters from urban everyday life, always treated with a very distinctive human intensity.

The paintings, often appearing unfinished, are presented as testimonies of dignity and resistance in the face of social erasure. The exhibition is organized by the Serralves Foundation — Museum of Contemporary Art and curated by Inês Grosso, chief curator of the Serralves Museum.