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Pacita Abad: Life in the Margins: Curated by Robert Leckie and Pio Abad, Spike Island, Bristol, United Kingdom

Past exhibition
18 January - 5 April 2020
  • Overview
  • Installation Views
  • Works
  • Press
Overview
The sky is falling, the sky is falling, 1998 Oil, plastic buttons and beads, painted cloth on stitched and padded canvas 106 x 118 in 270 x 300 cm
The sky is falling, the sky is falling, 1998
Oil, plastic buttons and beads, painted cloth on stitched and padded canvas
106 x 118 in
270 x 300 cm

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 broad range of styles, subjects and techniques, from social realist tableaus incorporating indigenous textiles to richly detailed abstractions inspired by Korean ink brush painting, Indonesian batik and Papua New Guinean shells.

 

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Installation Views
  • Installation shots: Max McClure

    Installation shots: Max McClure

  • Exhibition Spike Island Max Mcclure 5
  • Exhibition Spike Island Max Mcclure 3
  • Exhibition Spike Island Max Mcclure 2
  • Exhibition Spike Island Max Mcclure 6
  • Exhibition Spike Island Max Mcclure 5
Works
  • Freedom from illusion, 1984 Oil, painted cloth on silk screened, stitched and padded canvas 75 x 81 in 190 x 205 cm
    Freedom from illusion, 1984
    Oil, painted cloth on silk screened, stitched and padded canvas
    75 x 81 in
    190 x 205 cm
  • Grasshopper, 1985 Acrylic, oil, plastic buttons on silk screened, stitched and padded canvas 82 x 59 in 208 x 150 cm
    Grasshopper, 1985
    Acrylic, oil, plastic buttons on silk screened, stitched and padded canvas
    82 x 59 in
    208 x 150 cm
  • Spider's web, 1985 Acrylic, cotton yarn, plastic buttons on stitched and padded canvas 70 x 104 in 178 x 264 cm
    Spider's web, 1985
    Acrylic, cotton yarn, plastic buttons on stitched and padded canvas
    70 x 104 in
    178 x 264 cm
  • I thought the streets were paved with gold, 1991 Acrylic, oil, wood bristle, painted canvas, painted cloth on stitched and padded canvas 94 x 68 in 239 x 173 cm
    I thought the streets were paved with gold, 1991
    Acrylic, oil, wood bristle, painted canvas, painted cloth on stitched and padded canvas
    94 x 68 in
    239 x 173 cm
  • If my friends could see me now, 1991 Acrylic, painted canvas, gold yarn on stitched and padded canvas 94 x 68 in 239 x 173 cm
    If my friends could see me now, 1991
    Acrylic, painted canvas, gold yarn on stitched and padded canvas
    94 x 68 in
    239 x 173 cm
  • L.A. Liberty, 1992 Acrylic, cotton yarn, plastic buttons, mirrors, gold thread, painted cloth on stitched and padded canvas 94 x 58 in 239 x 147 cm
    L.A. Liberty, 1992
    Acrylic, cotton yarn, plastic buttons, mirrors, gold thread, painted cloth on stitched and padded canvas
    94 x 58 in
    239 x 147 cm
  • Through the looking glass, 1996 Oil, acrylic, sequins, plastic buttons on stitched and padded canvas 209 x 59 in 531 x 150 cm
    Through the looking glass, 1996
    Oil, acrylic, sequins, plastic buttons on stitched and padded canvas
    209 x 59 in
    531 x 150 cm
  • Liquid experience, 1985 Oil, mirrors on stitched and padded canvas 59 x 120 in 150 x 305 cm
    Liquid experience, 1985
    Oil, mirrors on stitched and padded canvas
    59 x 120 in
    150 x 305 cm
  • Sampaloc walls, 1985 Acrylic, mirrors, buttons on stitched and padded canvas 71 x 98 in 180 x 249 cm
    Sampaloc walls, 1985
    Acrylic, mirrors, buttons on stitched and padded canvas
    71 x 98 in
    180 x 249 cm
  • The sky is falling, the sky is falling, 1998 Oil, plastic buttons and beads, painted cloth on stitched and padded canvas 106 x 118 in 270 x 300 cm
    The sky is falling, the sky is falling, 1998
    Oil, plastic buttons and beads, painted cloth on stitched and padded canvas
    106 x 118 in
    270 x 300 cm
  • Caught at the border, 1991 Acrylic, oil, mirrors, sequins on stitched and padded canvas 98 x 68 in 249 x 173 cm
    Caught at the border, 1991
    Acrylic, oil, mirrors, sequins on stitched and padded canvas
    98 x 68 in
    249 x 173 cm
  • From Doro Wat to sushi and chicken wings and tings, 1991 Acrylic, oil, painted canvas, plastic buttons, beads on stitched and padded canvas 96 x 69 in 244 x 175 cm
    From Doro Wat to sushi and chicken wings and tings, 1991
    Acrylic, oil, painted canvas, plastic buttons, beads on stitched and padded canvas
    96 x 69 in
    244 x 175 cm
  • Girls in Ermita, 1983 Acrylic on stitched and padded muslin 105 x 53 in 267 x 135 cm
    Girls in Ermita, 1983
    Acrylic on stitched and padded muslin
    105 x 53 in
    267 x 135 cm
  • Blues train to Yogya, 2002 Oil, painted cloth stitched on canvas 94 x 71 in 239 x 180 cm
    Blues train to Yogya, 2002
    Oil, painted cloth stitched on canvas
    94 x 71 in
    239 x 180 cm
  • Fly into a rage, 2000 Oil, painted canvas stitched on canvas 204 x 61 in 518 x 155 cm
    Fly into a rage, 2000
    Oil, painted canvas stitched on canvas
    204 x 61 in
    518 x 155 cm
  • Life in the margins, 2002 Oil, printed cloth, painted cloth stitched on canvas 106 x 60 in 269 x 152 cm
    Life in the margins, 2002
    Oil, printed cloth, painted cloth stitched on canvas
    106 x 60 in
    269 x 152 cm
  • Korean shopkeepers, 1993 Acrylic, oil, plastic buttons, sequins, beads, yarn, painted cloth on stitched and padded canvas 96 x 57 in 244 x 145 cm
    Korean shopkeepers, 1993
    Acrylic, oil, plastic buttons, sequins, beads, yarn, painted cloth on stitched and padded canvas
    96 x 57 in
    244 x 145 cm
  • Mixed marriage: Mike and Jeeva, 1993 Acrylic, oil, cloth, sequins, lace, shells, beads, gold thread, cotton yarn, mirrors, rhinestones on stitched and padded canvas 104 x 68 in 264 x 173 cm
    Mixed marriage: Mike and Jeeva, 1993
    Acrylic, oil, cloth, sequins, lace, shells, beads, gold thread, cotton yarn, mirrors, rhinestones on stitched and padded canvas
    104 x 68 in
    264 x 173 cm
  • Sichan between two worlds: From Angkor Wat to the White House, 1994 Oil, buttons, beads on stitched and padded canvas 93 x 58 in 236 x 147 cm
    Sichan between two worlds: From Angkor Wat to the White House, 1994
    Oil, buttons, beads on stitched and padded canvas
    93 x 58 in
    236 x 147 cm
  • The village where I came from, 1991 Acrylic, oil, painted cloth on stitched and padded canvas 96 x 68 in 244 x 173 cm
    The village where I came from, 1991
    Acrylic, oil, painted cloth on stitched and padded canvas
    96 x 68 in
    244 x 173 cm
Press
  • Long Pushed to the Margins, Pacita Abad’s Art About the Immigrant Experience Gets Global Recognition

    Alex Greenberger, ARTnews, April 15, 2021
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  • Patchworking the World: Pacita Abad’s Celebration of Global Diversity

    Louise Benson, Elephant, January 29, 2021
    This link opens in a new tab.
  • Pacita Abad: Life in the Margins

    HG Masters, Art Asia Pacific, January 11, 2021
    This link opens in a new tab.
  • Pacita Abad: Commitment to the Studio

    Elisabeth Luquin, AWARE Review, April 11, 2020
    This link opens in a new tab.
  • The sky is falling, the sky is falling

    Polly Barton, The White Review, April 1, 2020
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  • Pacita Abad - Life in the Margins

    Skye Sherwin, ArtReview, April 1, 2020
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  • Trapunto tapestries: Filipina artist Pacita Abad's vibrant, colourful legacy

    Melissa Gronlund, The National, March 21, 2020
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  • Pacita Abad: Life in the Margins

    David Trigg, Studio International, March 7, 2020
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  • Pacita Abad: Life in the Margins

    Abbie Head, Socialist Review, March 1, 2020
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  • Pacita Abad in Bristol: where art, craft and politics intersect

    Rachel Spence, Financial Times, February 20, 2020
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  • Life in the Margins @ Spike Island

    Maddy O’Neil, epigram, February 18, 2020
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  • Pacita Abad: Life in the Margins

    Lizzie Lloyd, this is tomorrow, February 5, 2020
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  • Patchworking the World: Pacita Abad’s Celebration of Global Diversity

    Staff Writer, Elephant, January 29, 2020
    This link opens in a new tab.
  • Pacita’s Work Was Defined By Her Constant Movement

    Steve Wright, Bristol24/7, January 23, 2020
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