At first glance, an art can really make your head spin. Something different, something that is beyond expectations, pretty straightforward.
And as a person, we tend to view it with different interpretations and that is okay.
What makes art more meaningful is how it conveys messages not only to the artist who make it happen but to the viewers of it—the one who receives it directly.
THE ART AND THE ARTIST
In a form of creative skill, labor, and storytelling, Nika Dizon defines her art as her visual diary.
Nika Dizon is an artist and has been making her name into the art scene way back until now. Her art mostly revolves around acrylic paintings and sculptures. In her paintings, she uses acrylic on canvas and uses plaster, resin, and found objects in her sculptures.
Photo from Instagram @nika.dizon
Photo from Instagram @nika.factory
Photo from Instagram @nika.dizon
Photo from Instagram @nika.dizon
She defines her art style as pop surrealism. What sets pop surrealism apart from other art styles is the incorporation of mixed elements into one, from popular to mass culture. It can sometimes be ironic, too playful to understand, and that’s the beauty of it. It often thrives with symbolism by helping our minds explore our open-mindedness and creativity deep within our psyche.
HER VISUAL LANGUAGE
Nika Dizon’s art language has it’s way of making it truly close to her—it tackles personal experiences, reactions to societal issues, and life in the modern times.
According to her, there is a lot of imagery in her art. It also involve products found in groceries or the kitchen because she usually takes inspiration from the immediate surroundings and the things she consumes.
Photo from Instagram @nika.dizon
Aside from that, a lot of her art also involves domestic settings as well as imagined scenarios.
Her creative process in doing her works encompasses the understanding of current events as well as the things happening around her, because that is how she communicates with it—how all of these affect her through her art.
Photo from Instagram @nika.dizon
Photo from Instagram @nika.dizon
When asked, how has her style changed over time
“The technical stuff evolves over time with constant practice (brush strokes, sculpting techniques, etc). My stories also evolve along with personal experience and growth. Each artwork feels like a continuation of my practice. The next episode in my life, as someone who lives in this world, experiencing this part of history.” she answered.
Photo from Instagram @nika.dizon
Photo from Instagram @nika.dizon
As a full-time artist that she is, Nika produces art whatever she can, whenever she can, there’s no particular time really.
Photo from Instagram @nika.factory
In defining success as an artist—Nika mentioned that apart from financial stability, the success of an artist measures on how that artist can have the ability and inspire others. And we couldn’t agree more than that.
For her, the biggest barrier to being an artist is the creative block.
She said that there are just days where she can’t seem to pick up a paintbrush. But she got to do what she got to do.
AT THE MOMENT
At present, she promotes her work through social media. She is trying her best to be a present figure in the scene.
Nika Dizon is at a residency in Alfonso Cavite called Linangan Art Residency. You can visit their Instagram page here.
Photo from Instagram @nika.dizon
Linangan Art Residency is a place where artists gather to help and support each other to improve in their craft and also establish connections in the industry. Nika’s batch we’re called “Darangin”. They had a group show last June 12 in Linangan which was basically a culmination activity kind of group show at the end of the residency program here and every batch has it, it was called “Patikim” – a showcase of the stuff they’ve made.
Photo from Instagram @nika.dizon
Nika’s batch (Darangin) also have plans to exhibit together around Metro Manila soon.
“We really think of ourselves more as a collective than just a batch that got into an art residency together. I think art residencies are really helpful especially to new artists. These things really help us uplift each other and improve in our craft, as well as it helps us build meaningful connections and know more about the industry.” she said.
You can check more of Nika’s works on her Instagram here.
