This work comes from Pacita Abad's “Abstract Emotions” series, which draws from her experiences collecting textiles in Indonesia--including visiting batik centers in Surakarta, ikat weaving centers in Sumba, batik factories in Yogyakarta, as well as her trips to aboriginal lands in Australia’s Northern Territories and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Later works in the “Abstract Emotions” series contemplate Abad’s emotional loss after her mother’s passing in 1991.

Greatly influenced by local garment and textile traditions, Abad created this work using local embroidery techniques and motifs she learned throughout her travels. Her adoption of these forms and techniques arose not only from an admiration of their craftsmanship and beauty, but also a sense of political solidarity with cultures that had endured colonial histories. Weaving inspiration from her travels into the canvas, Abad creates an ode to the places and people that inspired her work.