Pacita Abad: For me, painting is my therapy, my passion and my obsession ! The works in this catalogue, which I call "Obsession", were done in 2003 and 2004 and are divided into three parts.

The first 30 paintings were done on paper (57 x 77 cm) and were started right after my Visiting Artist Program at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI) and my "Circles in my mind" exhibition. I just could not stop, as I fervently continued to work on the circle motif with acrylic, oil pastel, mylar, circuit boards, fabric and other available materials. It was very spontaneous and exhilarating.

The second part of the series consists of 90 small, square (13 x 13 cm) paper paintings (not all shown in this catalogue), created when I was an artist-in-residence at Centre d'Art, Marnay Art Centre (CAMAC) located in a small village in France, during September and October 2003.

Returning to Singapore, I started the third part of the series by playing with cardboard (135 x 70 cm) and combining paint with small paper circles, tin cans and fabric. I then used materials gathered on trips to Tokyo, Bangkok and Yogyakarta to collage onto my 50 colorful paintings.

Alone with my paints and brushes, music day and night, is when I feel most relaxed - this is my therapy. I do not want to do anything but paint - this is my obsession!

Published by Cultural Center of the Philippines

160 pages