Everyday Materials

A richly illustrated publication on the early life, creative practice, and visual style of a major Filipino abstract artist, Bernardo Pacquing.

Documenting the trajectory and development of Filipino abstract artist Bernardo Pacquing’s work from the 1980s to the present day, Everyday Materials is the first publication of its kind to explore his early life, creative practice, and the evolution of his distinctive and celebrated visual language.

Named after Pacquing’s fascination with accessible, inexpensive, and mass-produced materials, Everyday Materials is designed by the acclaimed Fraser Muggeridge studio in London, and colorfully illustrated with monochromatic photographs of Pacquing’s studio and artworks. 

From early works that were marked by gestural abstraction to more recent land art and his complex use of found materials, Pacquing’s varying thematic shifts are comprehensively charted and documented. Alongside the rich visuals, the monograph also includes texts that investigate the value of artist friendship, support, and reciprocal influence within the framework of the creative process.

Bernardo Pacquing came of age during a period of significant transformation in the Philippines’ visual art scene. Through in-depth essays by David Elliott, Gary-Ross Pastrana, Josephine V. Roque, and Russell Storer, Everyday Materials offers a nuanced reflection on Pacquing’s creative process, his formative influences, and his ongoing contributions to the field of abstract art.