PROJECT DESCRIPTION

PACITA ABAD is a comprehensive survey of three decades of Pacita's multifaceted, visually dazzling, and politically prescient works blending fabric and painting.

Published on the occasion of her first-ever retrospective, it includes new research and writing by Julia Bryan-Wilson, Ruba Katrib, Nancy Lim, Matthew Villar Miranda, Victoria Sung and Xiaoyu Weng, an oral history about the artist’s life and work by Pio Abad and Victoria Sung, and never-before-seen artworks and archival materials. Over three decades, Abad made an exuberant, wide-ranging body of work that was ahead of its time in promoting a transcultural worldview and we aimed to design an object that mirrored that exuberance, inside and out.

Our goal was to create a striking borloloy design focused on highlighting three characteristics that remained consistent across her different bodies of work: color, visual texture, and surprise. We knew that the catalogue needed to match the unequivocal energy of Pacita’s work and spirit and be, in itself, a bold yet intimate self-portrait of the complex woman and artist.

On the book edges, we printed an abstraction that represented the complexity of her work and persona, titled "I Have One Million Things to Say," which refers to “the multiplicity of textures, materials, and narratives in her works.”

Our typographic choice was inspired by Pacita’s Bacongos and Baybayin, a 16-17th century Philippine script. We sought letterforms that were highly contrasted and with calligraphic flourishes, characteristics which alluded to the modulation of the hand and heart.

Read more: https://walkerart.org/magazine/designing-pacita-abad

BOOK INFORMATION

Trim Size: 9 x 11.75

Number of Pages: 352

Binding Method:

Paper:

Typefaces:

CREDIT INFORMATION

Creative Director: Mỹ Linh Triệu Nguyễn

Art Director: Mỹ Linh Triệu Nguyễn

Book Designer: Mỹ Linh Triệu Nguyễn, Daniel Cohen, Nik Ivanov

Jacket/Cover Designer: STUDIO LHOOQ

Illustrator:

Photographer:

Picture Editor:

Production Director:

Production Coordinator:

Production Artist:

Other Credits: Editor: Laura Silver; Curatorial Fellow: Matthew Villar Miranda; Publications Manager: Jake Yuzna; Design Studio Manager: Kate Arford; Indexer: Enid L. Zafran; Proofreader: Dianne Woo; Image Specialist: Colour & Books

Return to the Gallery