‘Circles in My Mind’ by Pacita Abad
Manila Bulletin
September 2004
Bearing her trademark palette of vibrant colors and rich textures, Philippine artist Pacita Abad presents her latest collection of works epitomizing the boundless possibilities of printmaking, papermaking and painting.
Her show, entitled “Circles in My Mind” opens at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Gallery, on Sept. 9, featuring over 70 different works.
Working in close collaboration with the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI) a s part of its ongoing Visiting Artists Programme (VAP), Pacita (now based in Singapore) developed over 50 works during a period of three months, incorporating the techniques of lithography, relief printing, screen printing, and hand colored paper pulp.
What has emerged is an explosion of monoprints, limited edition prints, and mixed media pieces embedded with beads, mirrors, textiles and other exotic objects collected by Pacita during her frequent travels.
The artist, herself, is as colorful and fantastically vibrant as her works.
Born in Batanes, Pacita holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the Philippines, and an MA in arts from the University of San Francisco, California.
She studied painting at the Corcoran School of Art, Washington D.C. and the Art Students League in New York City.
Her incessant travels around the world over the past 25 years have exposed her to rich cultures that have in turn significantly impacted her style of creating art and the diverse range of imagery.
Pacita has had numerous solo exhibitions at museums and galleries in the U.S., Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
She has participated in more than 50 groups and traveling exhibitions throughout the world. Pacita’s work is in public, corporate and private art collections in over 40 countries.
Her works are mounted in the Singapore Art Museum, Metro Center Subway Station Washington D.C., Citibank HK, Unicef NY, Sogo Dept. Store Tokyo, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Fukoka Art Museum Japan, and the National Museums in Sri Lanka, Cuba, US, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines and Korea.
Her most recent public art project was painting the Alkaff Bridge in Singapore.
Pacita is a recipient of the 2005 Ateneo Library of Women’s Writings (ALIW), a National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellowship, a Washington D.C. Commission on the Arts Award, the New York State Council on the Arts Visiting Artists Fellowship, the 1998 Likha Award Marking the Centennial of the Philippine Independence, and the 1984 TOYM Award for the most outstanding artist in the Philippines.
The “Circles in My Mind” exhibition is curated by Prof. Ruben Defeo and is jointly organized by the Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Galleria Duemila, and ArtPostAsia Pte Ltd.
This exhibition is supported by Singapore Airlines Cargo, Globe Platinum, Globe Quest, ING Private Banking, The Embassy of Singapore, Fraser Place, and Carepak Moving and Storage.
ART EXHIBITION AT THE CCP
Pacita Abad: Circles in My Mind
Filipina print artist Pacita Abad leaves a lasting impression wherever she goes. It’s not just on canvass where she leaves her mark, though. In Singapore, the well-known Alkaff Bridge is battleship-grey no more. Thanks to Pacita, pedestrians in Singapore now enjoy the vibrant colors of the literal “rainbow connection” traversing the Singapore River.
A former artist-in-residence at the Singapore Tyler Print institute (STPI), Pacita has staged several solo exhibitions in Singapore. A celebrated international artist, Pacita has also exhibited her works in museums and galleries in America, Asia, Africa and Latin America, and has participated in more than 50 group and traveling exhibitions throughout the world.
Pacita’s current exhibition at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, “Circles in My Mind”, features works created while she was with STPI. Visitors will be able to see Pacita’s outgoing and spontaneous persona in her prints. With their entrancing circles and swirls of vibrant colors, Pacita’s prints are unconventional and guaranteed to grab your attention. By incorporating different methods in her works, such as lithography, relief printing, screen printing and hand-colored paper pulp, Pacita virtually guarantees that her creations will never be monotonous.
Organized jointly by the Singapore Embassy, ArtPostAsia Pte Ltd., STPI and CCP, “Circles in My Mind” received a tremendous reception from Filipino and foreign art lovers and critics. Over 400 people turned up on opening night to meet Pacita and to view the hundred or so monoprints, limited edition prints and mixed media pieces embedded with beads, mirrors, textiles and other exotic objects she collected during her travels.
Enjoying Pacita’s colorful works on opening night were the guests-of-honor: Ambassador Lim Kheng Hua and Mrs. Katherine de Guzman. A highlight of opening was Pacita’s presentation to Ambassador Lim of one of her most outstanding pieces of artwork which had been purchased by the Singapore Embassy.
In her address, Ambassador Lim told the audience that, “Pacita’s ties with Singapore represent the very best in the people-to-people exchanges that both the governments of Singapore and the Philippines are promoting.” Also on hand to officiate in one way or another were Pacita’s brother, Education Secretary Florencio Abad, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, ArtPostAsia’s Tina Colayco, and STPI’s representatives, Matin Tran and Master Papermaker Richard Hungerford. Joining them were CCP Chair Emily Abrera, National Museum Director Cora Alvina, internationally acclaimed artist Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera, and media personalities like Ces Drilon and Ricky Carandang.
“Circles in My Mind” drew strong support from Singapore companies who were appreciative of Pacita’s contributions to the art scene in Singapore. The sponsors include Singapore Airlines, SIA Cargo, Globe Telecoms, and Fraser Place serviced residences.
Modern art lovers will get a chance to view Pacita’s works at the CCP until the end of October.
