Provenance

This work by Pio Abad ( (b. 1983, Manila; lives and works in London) is a highlight of the artist’s presentation in the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, titled In Minor Keys and organized by late curator Koyo Kouoh. Abad was selected to present an installation of new and recent works in the Central Pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale that highlight the artist’s interest in probing colonial museum collections and contemporary narratives. Also featured in the In Minor Keys are larger scale drawings, including I am singing a song that can only be born after losing a country (2023), which references artifacts housed in Ashmolean Museum’s collection.

In this work, Abad reproduces at scale four deer skins, sewn into a cloak and embellished with seashells. A gift from the paramount chief of the Powhatan people, the object represents one of the earliest known encounters between Indigenous peoples of North America and British colonists.