Pacita Abad hails from Basco, Batanes, farthest island up north. Some critics may dismiss her claim of having “painted the globe,” but she had, in fact, travelled to more than 80 countries on 5 continents. Her lifetime itinerary adds up to a painter’s alphabet book of destinations. She lived in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mali, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Sudan, the United States, and Yemen. Travelling had a major impact on her art, serving as the inspiration for many ideas, materials, and techniques.

Three months before her death on 7 December 2004, Pacita Abad visited ALIWW and sat down to a videotaped interview with Felice P. Sta. Maria. Lending a way of looking at a forthcoming splash of her works, she gamely answered questions about her life, creative process, and artistic beliefs. The edited version, copyrighted to ALIWW, runs to some 15 minutes of spirited exchange. Preserved in the archive, though, is the interview’s unedited 25-minute video reel, a mine of information on her inventive genius.

A prolific painter, Abad created over 3,500 artworks. In Singapore, she even painted a 55-meter long bridge, lavishing it with 2,350 muticolored circles. Her works are now displayed in public, corporate, and private art collections in over 70 countries.