Pacita Abad made a point to exhibit her artwork in a wide variety of venues, not just in galleries and museums. During her 32-year artistic career Pacita's paintings were shown in more than 200 museums, galleries and other sites in the United States, Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. Her work is now in museum, public, corporate and private art collections in over 70 countries.
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Current
Forthcoming
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Pacita Abad: I Thought the Streets were Paved with Gold | Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai
8 Sep 2021 - 13 Feb 2022 Known for her large scale, colorful ‘trapunto’ works, Pacita Abad (1946-2004) was a Filipino-American artist whose prolific oeuvre spanned continents and ranged from abstract forms to social realist depictions of everyday life in the U.S.A, the Philippines and elsewhere. Having lived and travelled widely across Asia and many parts of... Read more -
Pacita Abad at Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
Curated by Victoria Sung 15 Apr - 3 Sep 2023 Press Release Pacita Abad April 15 – September 3, 2023 This Walker-organized exhibition is the first-ever survey devoted to the work of Pacita Abad (US, b. Philippines, 1946–2004). Abad is best known for her trapunto paintings, a form of quilted painting the artist originated by stitching and stuffing her painted... Read more
Past
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13th Gwangju Biennale
Curated by Defne Ayas and Natasha Ginwala. Ten of Pacita's large abstract paintings from her 'Door to Life' and 'Abstract Emotions' series in Gallery 2 1 Apr - 9 May 2021 The 13th Gwangju Biennale, Minds Rising, Spirits Tuning, opens on 1 April 2021 with 69 participating artists and 40 new commissions, in Gwangju, South Korea. The exhibition will last until 9 May 2021 and is held at the Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall, Gwangju National Museum, and Gwangju Theater, Yangnim mountain... Read more -
Revisiting Circles in My Mind by Pacita Abad
Four of Pacita Abad's Prints, created in 2003 as an Artist-in-Residence at Singapore Tyler Print Institute, are being shown at Galleria Duemila, Manila, Philippines 6 Feb - 31 Mar 2021 Galleria Duemila Presents: Revisiting Circles in My Mind by Pacita Abad Pacita Abad is born in the smallest and northernmost Philippine island of Batanes in 1946. Her most extensive works are her vibrant colorful trapunto, paintings, prints, which can be found in public and private collection in over 70 countries.... Read more -
Pacita Abad: Masks and Spirits
Silverlens, Manila I Art Basel OVR:20c (28-31 October 2020) 17 Oct - 21 Nov 2020 'Masks and Spirits', a solo show of five large trapunto paintings, is held at Silverlens Galleries Manila starting October 17, 2020. The artworks are part of Pacita Abad's Masks and Spirits, a monumental series that spanned two decades, from 1981 to 2000. They were inspired by her extensive travels across... Read more -
11th Berlin Biennale
Curated by María Berríos, Renata Cervetto, Lisette Lagnado and Agustín Pérez Rubio 5 Sep - 1 Nov 2020 Seven of Pacita Abad's large 'Masks and Spirits' trapunto paintings are included in the 11th Berlin Biennale's Gropius Bau, opening on September 4, 2020. Watch HERE - Video walkthrough with Agustín Pérez Rubio. The 11th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art is curated by María Berríos, Renata Cervetto, Lisette Lagnado, and... Read more -
Garden of Six Seasons
Curated by Cosmin Costinas, Para Site Hong Kong 16 May - 30 Aug 2020 This exhibition was made with a certain desire and privilege of embracing the world. Without melancholy, from the fortunate gaze of Hong Kong, where we can open to the public with a certain sense of safety, we can now perhaps reflect on what became obsolete about this exhibition, in the... Read more -
Pacita Abad: Life in the Margins
Curated by Robert Leckie and Pio Abad, Spike Island, Bristol, United Kingdom 18 Jan - 5 Apr 2020 Co-curated by Robert Leckie and artist Pio Abad, this is Pacita Abad's first solo exhibition in the United Kingdom. The exhibition includes over 20 large- scale ‘trapunto’ paintings and other works on fabric made between 1983 and 2002. Characterised by their vibrant colour and intricate construction, these works combine a... Read more -
Selections from the Permanent Collection
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan 11 Jan - 25 Dec 2020 The display of Pacita Abad's work ‘Walls of Santa Mesa” was originally exhibited as part of the Second Asian Art Show at the Fukuoka Art Museum in 1985. The painting is now being shown at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum as part of the exhibition of the museum's permanent collection... Read more -
Suddenly Turning Visible: Art and Architecture in SEA, 1969-89
Curated by Cheng Jia Yun, Joleen Loh, Seng Yu Jin and Shabbir Hussain Mustafa, Singapore National Gallery 19 Nov 2019 - 29 Nov 2020 'Suddenly Turning Visible' explores how urban development in the 1970s impacted the cities of Bangkok, Singapore and Manila, and how the relationship between art and architecture during this period led to the emergence of new, hybrid cultural forms. The exhibition examines this paradigm shift in the history of art in... Read more -
Frieze London 2019
Woven section curated by Cosmin Costinas, with Silverlens Galleries 3 - 6 Oct 2019 Cosmin Costinas curates a new themed section exploring textiles, weaving and legacies of colonialism. Together these eight solo presentations will make visible the histories and continuous legacies of the colonial catastrophe, from the economies around textiles to current forms of exploitation and political complicity, as well as point to the... Read more -
Art Basel Hong Kong 2019
Kabinett section, with Silverlens Galleries, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center 29 - 31 Mar 2019 Art Basel Hong Kong's Kabinett sector - which gathers bijou displays inside the booths - is once again full of treasures. This year, 21 exhibitors present rarely-shown pieces by artists from Asia, Europe, and the Americas, with a strong focus on historical works from the 1930s onwards. Among them are... Read more -
Pacita Abad: I Have One Million Things to Say
Curated by Joselina Cruz and Pio Abad, MCAD Manila 12 Apr - 1 Jul 2018 There are no easy categories for Pacita Abad. The exhibition Pacita Abad: A Million Things to Say , hopefully allows for a more detailed consideration of her work and its expansive contemporaneity. Abad's understanding of the idea of the global preceeded many of her contemporaries, a complex understanding often disguised... Read more -
Between Declarations and Dreams: Arts of Southeast Asia since the 19th Century
The Southeast Asia Gallery at the National Gallery, Singapore 17 Jan - 30 Jun 2017 Pacita Abad's painting 'Evil Eye', part of her Tribal art series, was included in the permanent exhibit. Read more -
Art Stage Singapore 2017
Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Singapore 12 - 15 Jan 2017 Art-2 Gallery showcases a number of Pacita Abad's mixed media abstract paintings during Art Stage Singapore 2017. The works featured are Pacita's colourful works of vibrant patterns segued into her most well-known practice as an abstract painter. The mixed media works, which range from large-scale paintings to small collages, incorporated... Read more -
Southeast Asian Abstraction: A New Dialogue
Sotheby's Hong Kong Gallery 12 - 21 Nov 2015 A New Dialogue highlights Southeast Asian abstract art from the 1960s to the 21st century. The artworks created may be seen as a marriage influenced by old world concepts paired together with a fresh vocabulary—ultimately a creative rebirth of learned aesthetics. Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Sotheby’s Singapore, as... Read more -
Pacita Abad: Through the Looking Glass
Curated by Michelle Tan, The Esplanade, Singapore 4 Mar - 23 Apr 2006 An exhibition of 25 of Pacita Abad's signature, large abstract trapunto paintings and canvas collages. During her battle with lung cancer, Pacita turned to her studio and listened to the Blues to create paintings that are strong, sometimes sad, a bit nostalgic and very colorful. VIEW PACITA'S DISCOVERY TRAIL FOR... Read more -
Pacita Abad: A Passion to Paint
Galleries of the World Bank, Washington, DC 13 Dec 2005 - 28 Feb 2019 An exhibition of 50 of Pacita Abad's large hand-stitched trapunto paintings from 1980s and 1990s. VIEW WORLD BANK ART PROGRAM BOOKLET HERE Read more -
Pacita Abad Gallery at Singapore Management University
School of Economics, 5th Floor 5 Oct 2005 - 31 Dec 2020 The collection showcases over ninety of Pacita Abad's abstract STPI prints and paperwork, that she created while being artist-in-residence at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Singapore in 2003, working with print masters John Hutcheson and Richard Hungerford. Open to the public with appointment. Read more -
Pacita Abad: Circles in My Mind
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Manila 9 Sep - 31 Oct 2004 The exhibit showcased seventy of Pacita Abad’s paper abstractions, including mixed media assemblages, mono prints and limited edition prints. Read more -
Pacita Abad: Circles in My Mind
Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Singapore 31 Oct 2003 - 25 Jan 2004 The exhibition showcased 56 prints, paper-pulp and paper assemblages created by Pacita Abad during her 2-month residency at the STPI in 2003. VIEW ARTIST TALK HERE Read more -
Pacita Abad: Endless Blues
Hadeland Glassverk and Museum, Hadeland, Norway 10 May - 31 Aug 2003 This exhibition features fifty of Pacita’s colorful mixed media paintings and assemblages, incorporating a range of materials from Indonesia and India. Read more -
Palay, Trapunto Murals by Pacita Abad
Montclair State University Art Galleries, Montclair, New Jersey 12 Nov - 15 Dec 2001 This exhibition showcases seven of Pacita's large trapunto artworks, which were part of her Oriental Abstraction series. VIEW EXHIBITION INVITATION HERE Read more -
Pacita Abad: The Sky is the Limit
Finale Art Gallery and SM Art Center, Manila, Philippines 13 - 26 Mar 2001 The Exhibition at Finale Art Gallery showcases over sixty of Pacita Abad's colorful paintings from her 'The Sky is The Limit' series, inspired by her numerous trips to Rajasthan, India. 'The Sky is the limit' exhibitions were also held at: - Artfolio, Singapore (January - February 2001) - Pulitzers Art... Read more -
International Batik Competition and Yogyakarta Batik Festival, Indonesia
Curated by Ardiyanto 11 Sep - 10 Nov 2000 The aim of the competition is to maintain and promote the art of batik patterning, which has been an important part of the Javan economy for centuries. The policy is also to preserve traditional patterns for posterity and, at the same time, develop new variations of the patterns and methods.... Read more -
Global Woman Project 2000-2007
Curated by Claudia DeMonte 9 Jun 2000 - 28 Oct 2007 Claude DeMonte: In Women of the World, the visionary and the everyday come together to render a global image of the female, circa 2000. Traditional art in ancient media gleefully joins with multimedia constructions that sing of glow. Individually superb, these works of art make an aggregate statement about the... Read more -
Pacita Abad: Door to Life
Bomani Gallery, San Francisco, California 26 Aug - 21 Sep 1999 This exhibit showcases Pacita Abad's forty mixed-media paintings inspired by her 1998 trip to Yemen. It is Pacita's homage to the architecture of Yemen. 'Door to Life' exhibitions were also held at: Artfolio, Singapore (March - April 1999) Hiraya Gallery, Manila Gibson Creative, Washington, DC (October - November 1999) Read more -
Pacita Abad: Abstract Emotions
Curated by Prof. Dr. Edi Setdyawati, Museum Nasional Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia 29 Apr - 17 May 1998 As part of the year-long and worldwide celebration of the Philippine Centennial, commemorating 100 years of independence, the National Gallery in Jakarta presents an exhibition of the works of Philippine artist Pacita Abad at the National Museum, from April 29 to May 17, 1998. The Minister of Education and Culture... Read more -
At Home and Abroad: 20 Contemporary Filipino Artists
Curated by Corazon S. Alvina, Jeff Baysa, MD and Dana Friis-Hansen 1 Feb - 17 Jul 1998 The traveling exhibition 'At Home & Abroad: 20 Contemporary Filipino Artists' brings together the work of some leading contemporary Filipino artists who reside in the Philippines, Europe, America, Asia and Australia, and whose art work explore the complex issues of heritage, identity, religion, and geography that define the contemporary Filipino... Read more -
17th National Craft Acquisition Award
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia 6 Sep - 12 Oct 1997 VIEW EXHIBITION CATALOGUE HERE Read more -
Talk Back! The Community Responds to the Permanent Collection, 1997
Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York, NY 28 Mar - 22 Jun 1997 VIEW CATALOGUE EXCERPT HERE Read more -
Pacita Abad: Exploring the Spirit
National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta 10 - 28 Jul 1996 Pacita Abad's second solo exhibition in Indonesia, featuring over 80 artworks, including a number of large trapunto paintings. Read more -
Memories of Overdevelopment: Philippine Diaspora in Contemporary Art, 1996
Curated by Pamela Baley, Cirilo Domine, Vicente Golveo, Catherine Lord and Yong Soon Min 5 Mar - 13 Apr 1996 1996 marked an important year for the Philippines and Filipino diaspora as it signified the hundredth anniversary of the Philippine revolution against Spain and the fiftieth anniversary of its independence from the United States. This exhibit addresses the experiences of the Filipino diaspora through the artwork of Filipino artists located... Read more -
Thinking Big
Curated by Cora Alvina, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Philippines 15 Jun - 31 Jul 1995 Read more -
Contemporary Art of the Non-Aligned Countries
Curated by G. Sheikh, T.K. Sabapathy, A. Poshyananda and Jim Supangkat, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia 28 Apr - 30 Jun 1995 The exhibition 'Contemporary Art of the Non-Aligned Countries' was a call for deeper understanding among the nations of the Non-Aligned Movement, using the visual arts as a tool to show the many problems of life within different social-historical situations. It was held in 1995, the year of the 50th anniversary... Read more -
7th International Biennial Print and Drawing Exhibit
Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan 1 - 8 Mar 1995 VIEW EXHIBITION CATALOGUE EXCERPT HERE Read more -
Pacita Abad: Artists + Community
Curated by Angela A. Adams, National Museum for Women in the Arts, Washington, DC 17 Nov 1994 - 12 Feb 1995 The exhibition features Pacita Abad's ten large trapunto paintings, which she calls 'The American Dream.' Her works are concerned with the immigration experience and reflect the diversity of cultures within the society. VIEW EXHIBITION CATALOGUE HERE VIEW NMWA NEWSLETTER HERE VIEW EXHIBITION INVITATION HERE Read more -
Pacita Abad: Wayang, Irian and Sumba
Curated by Prof. Dr. Edi Setdyawati, National Museum, Jakarta, Indonesia 24 Oct - 16 Nov 1994 Pacita Abad's first solo exhibition in Indonesia, held at the National Museum in Jakarta, featuring her large trapunto mask paintings, as well as her mixed media paintings using Indonesian traditional fabric. Read more -
Pacita Abad: Assaulting the Deep Sea
Curated by Mark Scala, Art Museum of Western Virginia, Roanoke, Virginia 21 Oct - 31 Dec 1994 In ' Assaulting the Deep Sea', Pacita shares her pleasure and excitement about the vibrant rhythms of undersea life. The eight trapunto paintings in this exhibition, created between 1985 and 1989, depict the stunningly beautiful coral reefs off the Philippine islands. 'Assaulting the deep sea' exhibitions were also held: Ayala... Read more -
Beyond the Borders: Art by Recent Immigrants
Curated by Betti-Sue Hertz, Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York, NY 18 Feb - 12 Jun 1994 Read more -
Asia/America: Identities in Contemporary Asian American Art
A traveling exhibition curated by Margo Machida and organized by Vishaka Desai, Asia Society (1994-1996) 16 Feb 1994 - 28 Jul 1996 Featuring works by twenty foreign-born artists of Asian parentage who have come to the United States to live and work, ‘Asia/America: Identities in Contemporary Asian American Art’ explores questions of bicultural identity as expressed in artworks by members of the fastest growing immigrant group in American today. The artists came... Read more -
Crossing Over/Changing Places
Curated by Jane Farmer and Helen Frederick 1 Nov 1991 - 23 Nov 1997 A traveling exhibition, in the US and 16 countries in Europe sponsored by United States Information Agency to: - The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA (November 1 -December 7, 1991) - University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (March 13 - April 30, 1992) - Anderson Gallery, VCU, Richmond, VA ( August 27... Read more -
Eight Paths to a Journey: Cultural Identity and the Immigration Experience, 1991
Curated by Mel Watkin, The Ellipse Arts Center, Arlington, VA 11 Sep - 26 Oct 1991 VIEW EXHIBITION CATALOGUE EXCERPT HERE Read more -
Wild At Art: Two Solo Exhibitions of New Works by Pacita Abad
Ayala Museum and Luz Gallery, Manila, Philippines 1 - 28 Feb 1991 Read more -
Pacita Abad: Trapunto Paintings
Franz Bader Gallery, Washington, DC 21 Mar - 8 Apr 1989 VIEW EXHIBITION INVITATION HERE Read more -
The International Art Show for the End of World Hunger
Organized by Ana Cristina Bozzo, one of the founders of the New York-based Artists to End Hunger 13 Sep 1987 - 25 May 1990 A four-year traveling exhibitions to museums in 18 cities in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas including: - Minnesota Museum of Art, St Paul, Minnesota, (September 13 - November 8, 1987); - Barbican Centre, London (August 4 - October 2, 1988); - Musee des Arts Africains et Oceaniens, Paris (June... Read more -
Pacita Abad: Oriental Abstractions
Hong Kong Arts Centre 7 - 23 Jun 1986 The exhibit showcases forty large hand stitched abstract trapunto paintings, inspired by Pacita Abad's visit to Korea and her study of oriental brush paintings. VIEW EXHIBITION CATALOGUE EXCERPT HERE Read more -
Pacita Abad: Assaulting the Deep Sea
Ayala Museum, Manila 26 May - 25 Jun 1986 This exhibition is an installation show of more than forty of her trapunto paintings, soft sculptures, serigraphs and paintings based on her diving experiences. Read more -
Second Asian Art Show
Curated by Nonon Padilla, Fukuoka Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan 2 Nov - 1 Dec 1985 VIEW EXHIBITION CATALOGUE EXCERPT HERE Read more -
Three Faces in Philippine Art
Curated by Rod Paras Perez, BMW Gallery, Munich, Germany 18 Jul - 19 Sep 1985 Read more -
Asian Art Biennale
Curated by Syed Jahangir, at Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh 1 - 30 Jun 1985 Among the Asian international art exhibitions, Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh is one with the longest history, the first edition of which was held in 1981 with having participation of 14 Asian countries. The organizer is Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (National Academy of Fine and Performing Arts), which is a state-sponsored national... Read more -
Pacita Abad: Painting of People and Landscapes of Batanes
Curated by Ray Albano Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines 22 Feb - 17 Mar 1985 Read more -
Pacita Abad: A Philippine Painter Looks at the World
Curated by Arturo Luz, Museum of Philippine Art, Manila, Philippines 16 Feb - 15 Apr 1984 The exhibition showcases more than 120 trapunto paintings, silkscreen and collagraphs that she created the previous seven years. DOWNLOAD EXHIBITION CATALOGUE DOWNLOAD EXHIBITION INVITATION Read more -
Pacita Abad: Scenes From the Upper Nile
Curated by Dr Barry Gaither and Harriet Kennedy, Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists, Boston, MA 23 May - 19 Jun 1982 Read more -
Pacita Abad: Streets of Santo Domingo
Curated by Isabel Caceres de De Castro, Altos De Chavon, La Romana, Dominican Republic 8 Aug - 6 Sep 1981 VIEW EXHIBITION CATALOGUE HERE Read more -
Pacita Abad: Portraits of Cambodia
Curated by Amy Lighthill, Boston University Art Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts 13 Feb - 14 Mar 1981 This exhibition showcases thirty of Pacita Abad's paintings that she created in 1979-1980, depicting the nightmare of the fleeing Cambodians refugees. VIEW EXHIBITION CATALOGUE HERE Read more -
Pacita Abad: Portraits of Kampuchea
Curated by Daeng Chatvichai Promadhathavedi, Bhirasri Institute of Modern Art, Bangkok, Thailand 4 - 10 Apr 1980 Read more -
Pacita Abad: The People of Wau
Oriental Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand 18 - 24 Nov 1979 VIEW EXHIBITION CRITIQUE HERE VIEW EXHIBITION INVITATION HERE Read more -
Pacita Abad: Recent Paintings of the Sudan
Curated by A. Shibrain, Council Exhibition Hall, Khartoum, Sudan 4 - 10 Jun 1979 Professor A. Shibrain (Dean of Khartoum Polytechnic College of Fine and Applied Arts) Comments on Pacita Abad’s Recent Paintings of Sudan VIBRATING MATURITY The object stands at a distance, but its perceivance, as well as its sensibility, keeps on cycling and recycling, deeper in the sub consciousness to convince satisfactorily... Read more -
Pacita Abad: Paintings of Bangladesh
Dhanmandi Studio House, Dhaka, Bangladesh 19 - 26 Nov 1978 Read more -
Pacita Abad: Recent Paintings
Artist Studio House, Washington, DC 15 - 22 May 1977 Pacita Abad showed approximately a hundred of her paintings at her studio house in Washington, DC, covering all wall space with her artwork. Read more
