Pacita Abad

Pacita Barsana Abad (October 5, 1946 – December 7, 2004) was a Filipino-American Ivatan visual artist. She worked in mixed media, integrating fiber art with painting; in particular she created mixed-media canvases using trapunto quilting as well as painting. Her work is characterized by vibrant color. Over more than 30 years, she exhibited her work in over 200 museums, galleries and other venues around the world, including 75 solo shows. Abad's work is now in public, corporate and private art collections in over 70 countries.

Early life and education

Abad was born in Basco, Batanes, on October 5, 1946, the fifth of thirteen children. From 1949 to 1972, her father, Jorge Abad, represented the lone district of Batanes in the Congress of the Philippines for a total of five nonconsecutive terms. Her mother, Aurora Abad, served for one term (1966 to 1969) in the same elected position after Jorge Abad was appointed secretary of public works and highways by President Diosdado Macapagal. The Abad family moved from Batanes to Manila at the end of Jorge Abad's first term, returning temporarily when he was campaigning for reelection. In Manila, Pacita Abad attended Legarda Elementary School and Ramon Magsaysay High School.

She graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1968. The following year, she began graduate studies in law at the same institution. During that time, she also began organizing student demonstrations protesting brutal tactics employed in the 1969 Philippine general election, including those used in Batanes, where her father was running for another term. Following a demonstration near Malacañang, Abad and several of her fellow student demonstrators met with President Ferdinand Marcos, drawing national media attention to their protest.