* This lot is sold to benefit the Asian Cultural Council

ABOUT THE WORK

A novel approach to material and a unique perspective on contemporary life has garnered visual artist Ambie Abano critical acclaim. Though she originally pursued and received a degree in Architecture, Abano pursued a radical path and went after her true passion in the Fine Arts. She initially developed her practice through the medium of painting in which she experimented with a variety of subjectmatter such as portraits, landscapes, still-lifes, and other novel forms and figures. She eventually branched out into other forms of media such as sculpture and printmaking. This shift managed to develop Abano’s practice as she sought to discover new ways of integrating and expressing her process within the final iteration of her work. Such an approach has effectively created layers of meaning that do not only extend backwards, effectively unveiling the process of Abano’s creation, but forwards as well through the active process of meaning-making in which the viewer is an active participant. This particular piece titled Still thou shalt stand long after my body has turned to dust and merged with soil that embraces thine roots was part of a group exhibit titled Rondo. The term Rondo refers to a musical form found in the last movement of a musical piece. Given that the show itself was mounted as a year-ender exhibit, the pieces present act in dialog with each other, as well as with the viewers involved as they relate not only their concluding thoughts about the year, but of their own perspectives as well. Abano’s piece can be seen as an ultimately humanizing work as it reminds us that we are not merely beings, but beings towards death. The work, which features 20 woodcut pieces wrapped in handmade paper, acts as a reminder of our impermanence amidst a much larger and often uncaring universe. The work shows a tree whose life, as fleshed out by the title, will surpass even those whose grip on life is firm. Yet the piece remains humanizing as it reminds us of our mortality in a way that is frank yet still comforting.