Visual artist and medical doctor Renato Cheng’s solo exhibition, Landscape Memories is on view until 4 February at Artistspace in Makati City.

In the realm of artistry, Dr. Cheng finds himself at the intersection of two movements: Impressionism and Expressionism. His journey as an Impressionist-Expressionist painter has evolved over time into a deeply spiritual experience. Just as the masters of old, whose sui generis works have been his wellspring of inspiration, he has delved into the depths of his soul. With each stroke of his brush, Dr. Cheng pushes the boundaries of his talents and skills.

When you gaze upon his paintings, you’ll find the softness of the skies intermingling with delicate strokes of lavender blues and pinks, reminiscent of the French Impressionist and their master of light. Yet, you’ll also witness the boldness of magenta and vermillion, the distortion of forms, echoing the spirit of Expressionism that followed the Impressionist movement. The emotions projected by flower, water and sky find voice through the intense colors and contrasts that he applies almost solidly on the canvas.

“Impressions expressionism with optical illusion” is how he defines his work for this exhibit, each piece is a romantic rendition of nature. To capture the essence of nature on his canvas is, in essence, to express that soul’s deeper sentiments. Some of Dr. Cheng’s paintings even offer optical illusions, where colors shift and transform as you engage with them.

For Dr. Cheng, painting is not work, it’s a joyous expression, a dance of colors and textures that reveal themselves in sensuous layers of impasto.

Artistspace is at the ground level of Ayala Museum Annex, Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Greenbelt Park, Makati City. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free.