In 2023, Pearl Reilly-Murray undertook a year-long residency in rural Portugal, marking her first sustained period dedicated solely to painting. The studio was a long, narrow room attached to the side of a traditional Portuguese house, opening directly onto the main street of the small village of Loué. While the residency program itself offered minimal formal structure, the town’s vibrant daily life provided a rich backdrop and source of inspiration.

During this time, Pearl approached oil painting with an intuitive freedom, allowing forms and shapes to evolve without rigid plans or expectations. Although the work produced initially felt experimental and unconnected, it has since been recognized as a cohesive series unified by its dreamy, muted tones and the notable absence of portraiture.

The Yellow House Residency became a crucial moment of artistic and personal growth for Pearl. It was one of her first extended creative experiences after the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic—a time of learning not only how to deepen her practice as an artist but also how to engage with community and solitude as a person.

Pearl expresses deep gratitude to the facilitators of the Yellow House Residency for providing this opportunity to live and work within such a distinctive cultural context, which continues to inform her artistic journey.