MANILA, Philippines - Artist Nikki Luna’s thought-provoking and poetic art shifts our focus on the wonders of our every day. At first glance, these installations of everyday objects may seem whimsical, innocuous and theatrical interpretations of the mundane, but they are very strong, grounded messages.
She will pluck out something as ordinary as a piece of cloth, place it in a cold environment and make a statement that weaves into the viewer’s mind. A piece removed from its everyday shakes one’s conscience and comfort in appropriate, little doses. She evokes memories with mementos and speaks volumes through textures and surfaces. Her gift is her ability to draw out significant human emotions from ordinary objects. With her skilled hands and creative mind, objects no longer just stand and blend but move with one’s imagination and grow hands that tug at consciences and heartstrings.
She has a heart for women’s issues and the world at large. “Just because people sometimes don’t hear about them, it doesn’t mean that they’ve disappeared,” she says.
Inside her are two worlds that are in perfect harmony. She uses her exposure and talent to reach into hearts that are in need of healing. She founded StartART project, an art program that focuses on youth victims of human rights violations. She realized the need for this when she volunteered in a center for girls who have been sexually abused. From there she began to design Art Therapy programs to help heal these victims.
She has partnered with psychologists to meld together the therapeutic properties of medical knowledge and artistic enjoyment. Together with Salinlahi, a children’s rehabilitation center, her Art Therapy sessions have that edge.
Art has a way of drawing out very strong and often hidden feelings. The non-verbal process provides no barriers and restrictions. The messages flow unedited. In the case of unearthing certain feelings, it can be safe to say that there is no right or wrong.
She dreams of Public Art. Her long-term goal is to show more works that bring the viewer’s participation to the piece. When a viewer walks close, reflects and becomes part of her work, her art comes alive. She is looking forward to shows this year in Manila Contemporary in Makati and in Finale Gallery room. She will also be enrolling at the New York University for further studies on Arts and Community this summer.
Her art is a milestone, a headline and a reminder that all one needs to spark change is to see with awakened eyes, thinking minds and open hearts.