Pio Abad and Frances Wadsworth Jones

The Collection of Jane Ryan & William Saunders

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Pio Abad and Frances Wadsworth Jones. The Collection of Jane Ryan & William Saunders, 2019. Twenty-four reconstructions of pieces from the Hawaii Collection, modelled from photographs taken by Christie's, 3D printed plastic, brass and dry-transfer text . Image courtesy of Daniela Baptista. Art Jameel Collection

Artwork Details

Artist

Pio Abad and Frances Wadsworth Jones

Title

The Collection of Jane Ryan & William Saunders

Date

2019

Medium

Twenty-four reconstructions of pieces from the Hawaii Collection, modelled from photographs taken by Christie's, 3D printed plastic, brass and dry-transfer text

Dimensions

Dimensions variable

Credit Line

Commissioned by Art Jameel. Art Jameel Collection

Work Description

The Collection of Jane Ryan & William Saunders is an ongoing work that reproduces parts of the vast trove of art, jewelry and antiquities acquired by Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos during their time in office. Presented here are 3D printed replicas of a portion of the jewelry collection seized by U.S Customs at Honolulu Airport in 1986. The jewelry has since remained unseen by the public, stuck in legal and political limbo. Here they reappear, not as luxurious accessories but as spectral reconstructions testifying to occluded and silenced histories. By making visible this inventory and some of its objects at ‘full resolution’ the artists draw attention to the roles that certain artefacts have played in the recent history of the Philippines, specifically in shaping the cultural legacy of the former Philippine dictators.

Artist Biography

Pio Abad (b. 1983, Manila, the Philippines) Lives and works in London, United Kingdom

Pio Abad’s practice is concerned with the social and political signification of things. His work, in a range of media including textiles, drawing, installation and photography, uses strategies of appropriation to mine alternative or repressed historical events, unravel official accounts and draw out threads of complicity between incidents, ideologies and people. Often taking on the form of domestic accessories, Abad’s artworks glide seamlessly between these histories, enacting quasi-fictional combinations with their leftovers. Pio Abad began his art studies at the University of the Philippines before receiving a BA from Glasgow School of Art and an MA from the Royal Academy Schools, London. He has recently exhibited at Art Basel Encounters, Hong Kong (2017); Para Site, Hong Kong (2017); Kadist, Paris (2017); Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow (2016); 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney (2016); EVA International Biennial, Limerick (2016); e-flux, New York City (2015); Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong (2015); Museum of Contemporary Art and Design Manila (2015); Gasworks, London (2014) and Jorge B. Vargas Museum, Manila (2014). 

Frances Wadsworth Jones (b. 1983, London, United Kingdom) Lives and works in London, United Kingdom

Frances Wadsworth Jones is a jewelry designer, maker and educator. She received her MA in Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork and Jewelry from the Royal College of Art in 2008. Recent projects include: Kiss the Hand You Cannot Bite, Kadist, San Francisco (2019); Fairest of the Fair, Bellas Artes Projects, Manila (2019); Make Wrong/Right/Now, the 2nd Honolulu Biennial (2019); Fabricate, Vitsoe, Munich Jewellery Week (2019); Rock Vault, London Fashion Week (2018); The Violet Crab, David Roberts Art Foundation (2015); Made in London: Jewellery Now, The Museum of London, (2014). Wadsworth Jones’ works are as eccentric as they are exquisite. From the surreal minutiae of nature rendered in 18-carat gold and gems, to pearl necklaces as portraiture, her distinct approach attempts to blur the boundaries between Design, Fashion, Art and Luxury to create works that defy both trend and expectations. At the core of her practice is an interest in subverting traditions of making and showing jewelry.

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