Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Niki Toney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Niki, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I think that everyone felt an extreme sense of isolation during COVID. Lockdown 2020 was a brutal time for everyone. My friend and colleague, Franceska Gamez, put together an all-women, Filipino-American art show in October of 2020 (which coinsides with Filipino-American History Month), and it was a light in my world. It gave me a project to link to – something that I was deeply connected with, and something so desperately needed within the community. I, along with 5 other Fil-Am female artists, put together a show at Frankie’sgallery in Sacramento (1810 Gallery), showcasing our own interpretations of our homeland, the Philippines, while navigating what it is to be Fil-Am in the diaspora. The show was open in October, and viewers were able to attend the showing by appointment. The amount of love and connection I received from other Fil-Ams in October of 2020 cannot be matched.

Niki, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve always known that I wanted to be an artist. I moved around a lot growing up (my parents were international school teachers), and drawing was always a way for me to feel grounded wherever I was. I enjoyed building worlds and stories in my mind, and trying my best to put them on paper. It’s a practice I still use to this day. I am constantly inspired by other artists, my surroundings, my culture, and my experiences, which in turn has inspired me to explore a bunch of different media – from sculpture to screen print, pen and ink to acrylic painting. I am proficient in many different media and can adapt accordingly. While digital is what most clients like for its ease and speed, art buyers really take to my traditional work. Making a client’s work feel like it’s “theirs” is one of my main goals when creating commissioned work. I ask a lot of questions about the project, and the people involved, and really enjoy adding in Easter eggs that the commissioner can connect to. My work instills a feeling of familiarity – clients are typically drawn to my work because they can relate to it – even if it’s a scene they don’t recognize, they can feel like they were there.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Hire us! You can ask any creative and right now there is a huge fear of loss of work due to AI. It’s a real fear. I, and almost every artist I’ve spoken to, have seen their income severely impacted since AI has reared its head. AI cannot give a client exactly what they’re looking for, and in the process, plaigarises the hard work that artists spent countless hours on. Art is a passion, but it’s also a profession. Art isn’t about instant gratification – it’s about the process, creating thoughtful, invoking work, and connection. Let a person, whose passion it is do labor through this process, make it for you!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As Fil-Am, my most immediate goal with my personal work is to give viewers insights into my culture. Much of my personal work illustrates my own childhood memories of summer trips to the Philippines where I played with my cousins after they got home from school, walked the streets and grabbing street food with my parents, and rode jeepneys and tricycles to get around. But what I really want my work to do is show people that we are all not so different – we all go through similar experiences and emotions, regardless of where we grew up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kneesandkeys.com
• Instagram: @kneesandkeysart
• Other: Cara: @kneesandkeys

Image Credits

N/A, all images are mine.