Filipino painter Pacita Abad’s canvases greet guests in Switzerland’s biggest museum

MANILA, Philippines — The works of Filipino artist Pacita Abad made their way to galleries and exhibits all around the world, even after passing in 2004.

One of these global journeys was to Kunsthaus Zürich, the largest art museum in Switzerland.

Four pieces from Abad's "Masks and Spirits" series inspired by the culture of Papua New Guinea hung in the museum's atrium, greeting guests who would visit the many masterpieces on display.

Abad took inspiration from "Trapunto," an old Italian quilting technique, and for nearly two decades, designed canvases with embellishments despite being primarily known as a painter.

"[Abad's] 'Trapunto' paintings, chiefly distinguished by their vibrant colors and accumulation of materials, bring together images and experiences from a range of cultures, economies and histories, and underline the strong influence exerted by 'primitive' art on Western modernism," a write-up for the series said.

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The four canvases — "Sing-Sing in Port Moresby," "Sepik man," "Melanesia," and "Kaunga" — all made in 1983 hung in the Kunsthaus until last May.

The museum still houses other works by revered artists, such as Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, and Edvard Munch.

A controversial exhibition currently running in the Kunsthaus involves the Collection of Emil Bührle, a German-Swiss arms manufacturer who acquired looted art pieces in Nazi-occupied locations.

Many of these pieces are thought to be acquired illegitimately from Jewish collectors, and the Kunsthaus advises guests to ponder on these circumstances as they encounter each artwork in the exhibit.

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Editor's note: The trip to Switzerland was hosted by Switzerland Tourism. At no stage does the host organization has a say on the stories generated from the coverage, interviews conducted, publication date, and story treatment. Content is produced solely by Philstar.com following editorial guidelines.