European Mask
- Artist: Pacita Abad
- Date: 1990
- Medium: Acrylic paint, silkscreen and thread on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 2607 x 1827 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the "European Mask" by Pacita Abad, created in 1990. The piece is a vibrant quilted canvas that fuses screen‑printing, acrylic paint, thread and a collage of found objects—shells, buttons, beads, mirrors—making the surface pop with texture. Abad plays with the idea that Western art history often lumped non‑Western artifacts under generic labels like ‘African’ or ‘Asian’. By naming it “European Mask,” she flips that convention, highlighting how art can be a bridge across cultures. The work is part of her trapunto series, inspired by travels across Asia, Africa and Latin America, where she stitched and stuffed canvas to give it a three‑dimensional feel. Abad’s own words echo here: “Art is for other people. It’s not just for yourself.” The result is a bold, multi‑layered mask that feels alive and inviting, inviting viewers to look beyond the surface and explore the stories stitched into every thread.
See it in person
European Mask is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
