"PSEUDORETROCYBORG" Biomechanical Digital Artwork by © RICA BARBA Philippines Artwork

I am MARICAR REYES BARBA ,born December 01, 1976. I spent my childhood in Estancia, Iloilo, northern part of Iloilo City and known as the “Little Alaska of the Philippines” because of the town’s reputation of fresh, bountiful fish/seafood catch. A self-taught visual artist, I did not receive any sort of artistic training. Maybe I inherited my artistic genes from my grandparents. I have a very rich historical ancestors. My great grandfather Anastacio Montero was the very first “Cabesa de Barangay” known today as the town Mayor and my great grandmother was the very first teacher of our town. But my artistic side was discovered by my late grandfather who also was my very first art teacher, Rev. Restituto Ortigas, a name Central Philippine University (CPU) of Iloilo City considered as an icon. He was an author of the book: Diksionario sa biblia / translator-editor in Hiligaynon text which is now at the National Library of the Philippines. He was also the father of Iloilo freedom fighter hero, Virgil Ortigas; and Fluellen Ortigas, awarded most outstanding student of the Philippines 1968-1969 also a freedom fighter and former legislative aide and chief liaison of the late Ninoy Aquino. He was my great art influence and the one that provided me books with rich and vibrant colours which enhanced my art visions at an early age. Since then I made paintings in oil and acrylic, experimenting with other mediums and later find my niche doing three dimensional digital artworks that I signed with pseudonym “RICA BARBA”. HOW DOES RICA BARBA RELATE HER ART TO THE PUBLIC During my dark days where I was almost crippled b a freak accident, I struggled to relate my art to the people. It seems like I was in a jungle in which psychiatrists hunt for wolves of fears and snakes of anxiety. But I never gave up my art. I fought my biggest enemy, none other than MYSELF. I made my art as my refuge, wherein I definitely see my digital works and paintings as my means of communication. Social media became my channel of expression. I am a “CONCEPTUAL FUTURIST”, a term I used because it offers a hint of the scope of my abilities. My biomechanical and futuristic digital artworks and paintings are notable for the grace and proportion of the human and non-human creatures; from my biomechanical androids, cyborgs, and robots to my other fantasy aliens, which inhibits them.