TEST FLIGHT
Nikka Reyes- Aligaen
June 04 - 15, 2023
An Invitation to Take Off
In Nikka Reyes-Aligaen’s Test Flight, the artist gives art-going audiences a taste of winging it and a bit of rest as she paints beautiful feathered creatures in full color and plumage. This captivating collection invites viewers into the vibrant world of Philippine birds, showcasing their exquisite beauty and grace in breathtaking detail.
Painting birds was a surprising discovery Nikka made because of her experience teaching in a progressive preschool that was immersive and heavy in the sciences. One early morning, the head of the school’s science department invited her to go birdwatching. While on the walk, they saw and heard the calls of kingfishers and oreoles. This experience led the artist to realize that the birds have always been there right in her neighborhood: she was too busy going to and fro, unaware of their presence. She then tried to appreciate these animals and understood that it’s actually a simple process— one only has to stop, pause, keep still, and be quiet to be enveloped by the sounds of birds, crickets, leaves, and the wind. Sometimes, to be one with the spotted wood kingfisher, white-browed shama, southern silvery kingfisher, and our other finely feathered friends, all one really has to do is look up.
Thus Nikka awes us with a series of Regal portrayals as a common kingfisher is posed before verdant green, a Philippine dwarf kingfisher’s fiery feathers smolder against a background of golden yellow, and a stork-billed kingfisher proudly bears its teal colors set against rich orange. The common maya, a Eurasian tree sparrow with a tiny hat and tie, pauses for a rest in Need to Perch amidst a backdrop of gold. In Counterflow, she captures the intricate choreography of chestnut munia in flight, their direction united except for a common kingfisher that goes against the flow, triumphantly carrying food in its beak. Dive explores the art of hunting and the green, common, cerulean, and white-throated kingfishers’ remarkable ability to plunge in search of sustenance. By showcasing the intensity and focus of these birds as they dive headlong, Nikka captures a moment frozen in time. In Lift Off, Philippine falconets and sparrows with their bowler hats and neckties make their appearance, with matching leather satchels, as the artist uses anthropomorphism, or attributing human characteristics, in this instance, working, to these birds, while a pop of vibrant color from an olive-backed sunbird bearing flowers breaks formation.
Through her finely detailed brushstrokes, Nikka brings these avian creatures to life. Nestled against backgrounds of lush pigments, these paintings present a stunning visual symphony that captures the essence of the birds’ flight and the energy of their natural habitat, highlighting both their endemic and migratory natures. As these feathered creatures rule the air, they remind us, those on the ground, to look up and take a little time to seek and enjoy them. In addition to this, the artist provides ambient sounds of bird song and beaked trills, creating a multisensory experience that surrounds the exhibition space, making listeners of viewers for a fuller experience. As Nikka further immerses herself in painting, she shows how art and science combine to create stunning imagery that takes us away as we escape on this maiden voyage.
About the artist
Nikka Reyes-Aligaen lives and works in Antipolo City, surrounded by trees that shelter birds that sing and call to each other throughout the day. Drawing and painting since childhood have earned her the confidence to face a blank canvas, but it wasn’t until 2017 that she chose to take painting seriously. Nikka graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a bachelor’s degree in European Studies with a major in International Relations, a minor in Education, and a minor in Japanese Studies. She was a preschool teacher for five years and a department coordinator for two years. She has had two intimate exhibitions in nearby cafes and has participated in several group shows, most notably Sampayan and year-end exhibitions in the Pinto Art Museum since 2020.
– Kaye O’Yek
