Pio Abad is a Filipino contemporary artist known for his politically charged works that explore themes of history, power, and memory. His art often delves into the complex narratives of colonialism, dictatorship, and displacement, with a particular focus on the legacy of the Marcos regime in the Philippines. Abad uses a variety of mediums, including drawing, sculpture, photography, and installation art, often incorporating archival materials and historical objects.
Born in Manila in 1983, Abad studied painting at the University of the Philippines before completing his Master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Art in London. His works are noted for their meticulous detail and conceptual depth, addressing the intersection of personal and political histories. He has exhibited internationally, with shows in the UK, US, Asia, and Europe.
Pio Abad has gained significant recognition in the contemporary art world for his politically and historically charged works. Some of his main achievements include:
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International Exhibitions: Abad has exhibited his works in prestigious galleries and museums globally, including:
- The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago
- Kadist Art Foundation, Paris and San Francisco
- Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai
- Para Site, Hong Kong
- The Yuchengco Museum, Manila
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Notable Artworks:
- His series "1975-2015", which uses historical objects to critique the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines.
- "The Collection of Jane Ryan & William Saunders", a project reconstructing and investigating the wealth accumulated by Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos through stolen artifacts and luxury items.
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Awards and Recognition:
- Sovereign Asian Art Prize Finalist: Recognized as one of Asia’s top contemporary artists.
- Jerwood Drawing Prize (shortlisted): This is one of the UK’s leading awards for contemporary drawing.
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Collections:
- His works are part of major institutional collections, including the Tate Modern in London and the Philippine Contemporary Art Collection.
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Critical Acclaim:
- Abad's work has been critically lauded for blending art, politics, and history in thought-provoking ways, often featured in major art publications like Artforum and Frieze magazine.
These achievements reflect his influential role in addressing political histories through art on an international platform.
Pio Abad’s artistic practice is concerned with the personal and political entanglements of objects. His wide-ranging body of work, encompassing drawing, painting, textiles, installation and text, mines alternative or repressed historical events and offers counternarratives that draw out threads of complicity between incidents, ideologies and people. Deeply informed by unfolding events in the Philippines, where Abad was born and raised, his art emanates from a family narrative woven into the nation’s story. Abad’s parents were at the forefront of the anti-dictatorship struggle in the Philippines during the 1970’s and 80’s and it is the need to remember this history that has shaped the foundations of his work.
Abad’s solo exhibitions include: To Those Sitting in Darkness, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (2024); Fear of Freedom Makes Us See Ghosts, Ateneo Art Gallery, Manila (2022); Kiss the Hand You Cannot Bite, Kadist, San Francisco (2019); Splendour, Oakville Galleries, Ontario (2019); Notes on Decomposition, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow (2016); 1975 – 2015, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney and Some Are Smarter Than Others, Gasworks, London (2014). Recent group exhibition include In Our Veins Flow Ink and Fire, 5th Kochi-Muziris Biennial, Kerala (2022); Is it morning for you yet?, The 58th Carnegie International, Pittsburgh (2022); Things Entangling, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (2020); Phantom Limb, Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai (2019); To Make Wrong/Right/Now, 2nd Honolulu Biennial, Hawaii (2019); Imagined Nations/ Modern Utopias, 12th Gwangju Biennial, Korea (2018).
Abad’s artworks are part of a number of important collections including Tate, UK; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; Hawai’i State Art Museum, Honolulu; Singapore Art Museum; Kadist, Paris/San Francisco and Art Jameel, Dubai.
He is also the curator of the estate of his aunt, the Filipino American artist Pacita Abad. He has recently co-curated monographic exhibitions on Pacita Abad at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design Manila; Spike Island, Bristol and Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai. He also co-edited the publication Pacita Abad: A Million Things to Say in 2021.