Art Basel Hong Kong is back with its gargantuan offering of contemporary art by known and rising artists from the region and beyond. Among the multitude of paintings, installations, sculptures and multimedia works presented by over 240 galleries from 42 countries and territories, historical artworks are emerging as highlights. This is perhaps partly indicative of an economic slowdown that favours safer and more conservative collecting choices over riskier contemporary art purchases.
Manila-based Silverlens and New York-based Tina Kim Gallery are together presenting three monumental paintings by the Filipino-American artist Pacita Abad (1946-2004). Known for her engagement with craft practices as well as the work of local and regional craftswomen, Abad’s trademark are brightly coloured abstract trapuntos – quilts commonly used and primarily woven by female weavers. The artist stitched a label onto the back of each work, providing the date, title, materials used and measurements. With such information available, one can only hope that her name will be better recognised and her work better documented in the future than when first created.
—Aaina Bhargava
