“When you operate through curiosity and excitement, you get to learn about yourself in the process. Kung naliligaw ka, get to know yourself through the things that excite you.”
A Filipino visual artist primarily in production design, Wika Nadera (@wikanadera ) is inclined to introspection and reflective personal experiences. He learns about himself more—as an artist and as a Filipino—when he works with spaces and environments, owing to his history of helping his high school classmates with set design.
In college, with his degree in Visual Communication, he wasn’t stuck to one singular thing and enjoyed exploring different media and working with different narratives. For him, it was a wonderful challenge to interpret different stories passed onto him. By facing the challenges of interpretation and translation, he thus finds his beat in finding that language of storytelling through visual aspects.
In our conversation, Wika shares his thoughts on what makes a Filipino visual artist, what inspires him and his creative process, and overall an introspection any Filipino artist may need when feeling stuck and lost amidst our current times.
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#PURVEYRCreatives
Writer — Ina Palaruan (@inah__ynas )
Photographer — Zaldine Alvaro (@zaldinejae_g )
Editor – Tricia Quintero (@triciaquintero )
Designer – Bea Pangandian (@bea.pangandian )
Isang buwan nang huli pero nais ko sanang habulin ang malalim na pasasalamat sa parangal na ito at ang mga pinag-ugatan.
Sa Philstage at Gawad Buhay jury, salamat sa pagkilala sa pananalig at pagmamahal na inalay namin ng Tanghalang Pilipino sa produksyong ito nitong nakaraang taon. Isang biyayang napalibutan ng mga mahuhusay at mapagkaloob na mga collaborators, at sanib-puwersang na-proseso ang habid ng alaala, dalamhati, at hustisya sa teksto ng Balete ni F. Sionil Jose.
Tagos-pusong pasasalamat at pagbibigay-pugay kina Tata Nanding, Ms. Carmela, at Sir Chris sa tiwalang maglaro at mag-eksperimento; kay Ate Delphine sa magiting at malambing na pamumuno; kina Sir Nonie, Ate Toni, Kuya Marco, Ate Lhorvie, Kuya Tad, Earvin, Gelo, at Ynna sa pagbibigay-buhay at boses sa kuwento. Kina Kuya Roman, Ate Teresa, Ate Joyce, Bina, at Carlos sa napaka-solid na artistic team, Kina Rafa, Rio, Cyril, at Mikee sa kanilang mahalagang gampanin sa pagsulong ng produksyong ito (labyu sobra!); kina Ate Chi, Mama Jo, at Kuya Daniel sa kanilang mahabang pasensya (sorry po…); kay Migs at Studio Tatin na kaakibat sa pagdisenyo ng entablado; kay Ms. Barbie at ang mga katuwang ng PDC sa masikap na pagbuo nito; at kina Albert, Pam, at Sofia sa karagdagang tulong (at emotional support) na matapos ito bago mag-opening night.
Nasa sementeryo ako noon para tapusin ang aking thesis nang tawagan ni Ate Toni para imbitahin na magdisenyo ng entablado ng Balete. Sa kabaliktaran, tungkol naman ito sa pagluluksa ng tatay ko sa yumao kong kapatid (si Awit) at sa kalagayan ng sementeryo kung saan siya nakalibing—kaya sa palagay ko binigay din itong proyekto sa’kin sa tamang panahon (apir kami ni Francisco sa pinagsamahang daddy issues).
Patuloy ko pang binabaybay at kinikilala itong panibagong lupa sa aking visual arts practice, kaya salamat salamat salamat sa mga naghatid sa aking unang major theater production. Mabuhay ang teatro!
Mga retratong binuo ng mga kaibigan nitong nakaraang taon matapos magtapos sa Diliman, matapos ang mga dire-diretsyong proyektong tungkol sa ama. Suot-suot ang damit ni @jude.macasinag , mga kuwintas at pulseras mula kina @xyvanta__ at @ewoyah , lawrel ni @kinala.wang , at ang amerikana ng lolo ko noong bagong-kasal. Mga kuha ni Makie Cruz, Nobyembre 2024.
Salamat sa mga dumalo at nanood ng premiere week ng The Virgin Labfest XX. Hinog na ang diwa, hinog na ang mga likha! 🦋🎭
Nagbubukas na muli ang entablado—handa nang lumipad ang mga kuwentong punô ng kulay, tapang, at talino.
Magkita-kita tayo sa Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez mula ika-11 hanggang ika-29 ng Hunyo para sa #VLFXXHinog! ✨🦋
Buy your tickets now!
🎟️ For single tickets: tinyurl.com/TicketWorld-VLFXX and /VLFXX
🎫 For Festival Passes:bit.ly/VLFXX-FESTIVALPASS-MECHANICS
Art Direction by Marco Viaña @marcoviana.ph
Photography by Jyllan Bitalac and Sherie Bolo @_jyllan_@sherie_bolo
#CulturalCenterofthePhilippines
#culturalcenterph
#VLFXXHinog
#CCPxTWBxTP
Paalam at malalim na pasasalamat sa napakamakabuluhang limang taon, UP. Masyado na akong pinagpawisan sayo. Kuha ni @albertraqueno , at nakaw na sunflower ni @p._maceda (nahatak hanggang ugat).
The "Homescapes" series is currently exhibited at the International Programs Office of Northern Michigan University and will be brought to their annual UNITED conference on diversity education next week, March 21st.
@northernmichiganu@nmuinternational@nmuart@nmuphoto
About a year ago, I began my semester-long project for my AD217 Photography: Methods and Techniques class at Northern Michigan University. The photographic series was an attempt to review and render the narratives of international students at NMU and how each would remember their homes. As an exchange student, this process of excavating through experiences with fellow non-native students has helped me apprehend and articulate notions and emotions on foreignness and nostalgia. Personally, I believe that it is substantial for the larger community of NMU to understand the complexity of the transcontinental experience amongst their students through this project. From constant video calls with family to daily prayers to Allah, from remembering one’s personal freedom with their name and even from their motorbike to experiencing freedom despite the elusive liberty in one's country, there is a significant amount of lessons from Alanis, Amro, Awa, Iris, Viactric, and other international students to take cognizance of.
The five international students had a portrait, which functions as their profiles, and another in a landscape that elaborates on their experiences as international students in relation to space. Moving forward from my earlier multiple self-portrait assignment in the same class, which examined the layers of the homesickness I was going through at the time, I wanted to use the similar technique of having different iterations of a person in distinguishing different emotions from their experience of being far from home in most of the images.
@northernmichiganu@nmuinternational@nmuart@nmuphoto
About a year ago, I began my semester-long project for my AD217 Photography: Methods and Techniques class at Northern Michigan University. The photographic series was an attempt to review and render the narratives of international students at NMU and how each would remember their homes. As an exchange student, this process of excavating through experiences with fellow non-native students has helped me apprehend and articulate notions and emotions on foreignness and nostalgia. Personally, I believe that it is substantial for the larger community of NMU to understand the complexity of the transcontinental experience amongst their students through this project. From constant video calls with family to daily prayers to Allah, from remembering one’s personal freedom with their name and even from their motorbike to experiencing freedom despite the elusive liberty in one's country, there is a significant amount of lessons from Alanis, Amro, Awa, Iris, Viactric, and other international students to take cognizance of.
The five international students had a portrait, which functions as their profiles, and another in a landscape that elaborates on their experiences as international students in relation to space. Moving forward from my earlier multiple self-portrait assignment in the same class, which examined the layers of the homesickness I was going through at the time, I wanted to use the similar technique of having different iterations of a person in distinguishing different emotions from their experience of being far from home in most of the images.
@northernmichiganu@nmuinternational@nmuart@nmuphoto
About a year ago, I began my semester-long project for my AD217 Photography: Methods and Techniques class at Northern Michigan University. The photographic series was an attempt to review and render the narratives of international students at NMU and how each would remember their homes. As an exchange student, this process of excavating through experiences with fellow non-native students has helped me apprehend and articulate notions and emotions on foreignness and nostalgia. Personally, I believe that it is substantial for the larger community of NMU to understand the complexity of the transcontinental experience amongst their students through this project. From constant video calls with family to daily prayers to Allah, from remembering one’s personal freedom with their name and even from their motorbike to experiencing freedom despite the elusive liberty in one's country, there is a significant amount of lessons from Alanis, Amro, Awa, Iris, Viactric, and other international students to take cognizance of.
The five international students had a portrait, which functions as their profiles, and another in a landscape that elaborates on their experiences as international students in relation to space. Moving forward from my earlier multiple self-portrait assignment in the same class, which examined the layers of the homesickness I was going through at the time, I wanted to use the similar technique of having different iterations of a person in distinguishing different emotions from their experience of being far from home in most of the images.
@northernmichiganu@nmuinternational@nmuart@nmuphoto
About a year ago, I began my semester-long project for my AD217 Photography: Methods and Techniques class at Northern Michigan University. The photographic series was an attempt to review and render the narratives of international students at NMU and how each would remember their homes. As an exchange student, this process of excavating through experiences with fellow non-native students has helped me apprehend and articulate notions and emotions on foreignness and nostalgia. Personally, I believe that it is substantial for the larger community of NMU to understand the complexity of the transcontinental experience amongst their students through this project. From constant video calls with family to daily prayers to Allah, from remembering one’s personal freedom with their name and even from their motorbike to experiencing freedom despite the elusive liberty in one's country, there is a significant amount of lessons from Alanis, Amro, Awa, Iris, Viactric, and other international students to take cognizance of.
The five international students had a portrait, which functions as their profiles, and another in a landscape that elaborates on their experiences as international students in relation to space. Moving forward from my earlier multiple self-portrait assignment in the same class, which examined the layers of the homesickness I was going through at the time, I wanted to use the similar technique of having different iterations of a person in distinguishing different emotions from their experience of being far from home in most of the images.
@northernmichiganu@nmuinternational@nmuart@nmuphoto
Hango sa Lord of the Fly—as in lipad, as in maangas, as in buhaghag. Isang taon na nang lumanding at lumandi sa U.S. Ang gulo-gulo lang ng lahat noon, parang nung pagkuha ko lang sa mga ‘to. Self-timer. Takbo! Balik.
Sa labas lang ng Photography Studio ng NMU School of Art & Design
Northern Michigan University
September 2022
