Cover Bea Camacho with Strong Arms Make All the Difference (1985) by Roberto Chabet
Bea Camacho with Strong Arms Make All the Difference (1985) by Roberto Chabet
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In The Collector’s Gaze series, Tatler meets six art collectors around the region, who share their thoughts on how, through their pieces, they preserve cultural narratives and push artistic boundaries. Here, artist Bea Camacho, who is also a collector, shares with us her journey
Philippines-born, Singapore-based Bea Camacho is an artist and collector. Her collection reflects her own artistic interests—time, transformation and process. Primarily known for her work in performance and conceptual art, Camacho often pushes physical and temporal boundaries in her practice. In one of her most striking performances, she spent 11 hours knitting red yarn around herself, creating a cocoon-like enclosure around her body. The act was slow and meditative, a physical manifestation of isolation and endurance.
In February, Camacho returned to performance art after a ten-year hiatus. For her performance, Efface, which took place at the ROH Projects contemporary gallery in Jakarta, she enveloped herself in a white carpet; it explored time, the body and ritualistic repetition. Camacho’s own work, as well as her collection, are a reflection of her ongoing fascination with how art intersects with life.
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On her collecting journey
I never set out to be a collector. When I first started acquiring art, it wasn’t because I wanted to build a collection—it was because I wanted to support my friends whose art I admired. Many of the earliest pieces I bought were by artists I knew personally, and even now, that remains one of the strongest motivations behind my collecting.
For me, art is more than an object; it holds memories of conversations, collaborations and shared experiences. Some of the pieces in my collection mark important moments in my life, whether it’s a friend’s solo exhibition, a project we worked on together or simply an artwork that resonated with me at a particular time.
While my own artistic practice focuses on performance, installation and conceptual art, my collection is quite varied. I collect paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, collages, assemblages, sculptural installations and video works. The common thread is not medium or style but a sense of experimentation and thoughtfulness—qualities I admire in both artists and artworks.
Above New Pleasures (2022) by Wawi Navarroza hangs on the wall
Above Camacho with Fugitives from Years of Captivity (11) and Fugitives from Years of Captivity (6) (both 2016), both by Norberto Roldan
New Pleasures (2022) by Wawi Navarroza hangs on the wall
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On growing up in a family of collectors
My parents’ approach to collecting was always deeply personal. One of my earliest memories related to art is of my mother telling my siblings and me, “If there were ever a fire, the first thing I would save is this drawer.” The drawer she was referring to didn’t contain rare masterpieces or valuable prints—it held our childhood drawings and handmade crafts. That moment shaped my understanding of what makes something valuable. It’s not just about price—it’s about meaning, memory and emotional connection.
My parents started collecting Filipino modern masters shortly after they got married, but as my brother and I pursued art in university, their focus began to shift; they became more interested in contemporary and conceptual art, influenced by the ideas we were encountering in our studies. Over time, their collection grew to include international artists, with a particular focus on Yayoi Kusama, whose work they began collecting in 2005; gutai [the Japanese avant-garde movement] artists, which reflected their interest in post-war Japanese experimental art and its focus on physical engagement with materials; and Alfonso Ossorio, a Filipino American artist whose expressive, emotionally charged work intrigued them. Even today, collecting remains a family activity—we visit art fairs together, exchange thoughts on new artists and discuss how to expand the collection in ways that feel meaningful.
On collecting across cultures
Above An unnamed collage (2022) by Kidlat Tahimik (left)
An unnamed collage (2022) by Kidlat Tahimik (left)
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I’ve lived in the Philippines, the US, China and Singapore, and each place has influenced my collecting in different ways.
In the US, I collected small-scale works by American artists, often through auctions. In Shanghai, I became interested in Chinese contemporary art and I acquired a piece by Chen Wei, an artist whose staged photographs create cinematic, dreamlike realities. Now, living in Singapore, my focus has expanded into Southeast Asian art, with works by artists from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and beyond. Each time I move, my collection shifts with me. It reflects not only my interests but also the artistic communities I become part of.
On next steps
Moving forward, I want to explore how durational performance [which focuses on the passage of long periods of time] can intersect with installation and video; continue collecting but with an even more curated and intentional approach; and find new ways to bridge the roles of artist and collector, allowing my practice and my collection to inform one another.
For me, art has never been about simply acquiring things—it has always been about engagement, dialogue and process. Whether I’m creating or collecting, my goal is the same: to seek out work that challenges boundaries, invites conversation and lingers in memory long after the moment has passed.
This is part of a series created in collaboration with Art Basel Hong Kong
