Pacita Abad
in ‘Artist and Society’, Tate Modern, London
Until 10 May 2026
Pacita Abad, To Paint for Freedom, 1988 © Pacita Abad Art Estate
Pacita Abad’s artworks are on view Tate Modern’s ‘Artists and Society’ permanent collection display, until May 2026. Three large textiles-based works – Bacongo III, 1986, Bacongo VI, European Mask, 1990 – showcase what the artist called her ‘trapunto’ technique, adapted from the Italian word for quilted embroidery. She stitched and stuffed the textiles, adorning them with objects she found on her travels, such as shells, beads and mirrors. Her layered compositions speak to her experiences of migration and encounters across cultures.