Composed of hand-painted and stitched batik cloth, Pacita Abad’s One Night Stand is a swirling, energetic mass of brightly colored lines and circles. Through layers that add dimension and complexity, the painting reflects the inspiration and interest that Abad found in techniques and materials from around the world.

The joyful lyricism of One Night Stand belies the painful circumstances in which it was created. Abad had been diagnosed with lung cancer and had recently undergone an intensive course of chemotherapy, and the world was still reeling from the attacks of September 11, 2001. “During this period,” Abad said, “I turned inward and spent a lot of time in my studio painting and listening to my favorite blues music.”

One Night Stand is part of Abad’s “Endless Blues” series: vibrant, abstract works into which she poured her memories and hopes for the future. The titles of the paintings in this series were inspired by her time as a graduate student, when she visited San Francisco blues clubs and followed popular acts across the country. Materially, the use of batik cloth recalls her time living in Indonesia. Abad said, “I was overwhelmed by the intricate beauty of batik and the boldness of the ikats. . . . I was fascinated by all of the textiles I saw, and I knew right there that these fabrics would make great collages with acrylic.”