THEY are the healers with stethoscopes hanging by their shoulders and the weight of saving a person is caught in their hands. But beyond the walls of the hospital, when their hands are given a paintbrush, they pour out all the emotions on a canvas. They are doctors and they are artists too.
“Healing and Beyond: Prescriptions in Canvas” is an art exhibit of 12 doctors at Museo Iloilo. Their artworks embody the natural beauty of nature, the flowers with various tones, and the essence of being human.
Facilitated by accomplished artist, Liby Limoso, the doctor-artists’ works were explained in “Decoding Prescriptions in Canvas” on Saturday, March 9 at 9 a.m.
The 12 doctor-artists didn’t have formal training in art for they work as clinicians and educators, but the emotions that swirl within push them to create masterpieces.
Who are these 12 talented doctor-artists?
- Dureza Abad is a practicing neurologist in Iloilo City. The subjects of her work are usually the Divine Physician who is the source of healing and grace.
- Dr Krys Balmaceda is an ophthalmologist and a self-taught artist. Just recently, she and her friends put up MAMUSA, an artist-run gallery and bistro in Iloilo City.
- Janet Beltran is a neurologist with a clinic at St. Paul’s Hospital. She expresses herself through painting.
- Minda Marie Dela Serna Cabrera is a practicing rehabilitation medicine specialist. In 2014, she started drawing the Ati, the aboriginal inhabitants of Panay Island.
- Eva Catedral continued her art in ophthalmology. Her recent subjects are flowers as she sees them with simplicity, joy, and radiance.
- Karen Rivera Francia is a former art student of Mr. Fernando Kabigting and an accomplished eye surgeon. She enjoys flower arrangements and they are evident on her artwork as she paints the flowers with meticulous attention to details.
- Carlo Ben Losande is an ophthalmologist based in Roxas City. His medium is oil paints. Instead of brushes, he uses his fingers to paint the colors on the canvas.
- Amee Lou Ponje is now a Fellow of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians. Apart from practice of her profession, she indulges herself into painting.
- Benz Robles finds success in ophthalmology. Her works are mostly abstract cubism. She utilizes vibrant colors of oil pastels constructed into various geometrical shapes, depicting people, memories, and her own experiences.
- Cynthia Vailoces-Salcedo is referred to as the mother of Iloilo ophthalmologist. She has long abandoned brush and pencils until late last year when she was encouraged to try painting again.
- Ana Marie Velasco had her Internal Medicine residency in St. Paul’s Hospital and fellowship in infectious disease at Philippine General Hospital. She realized she had a potential in visual arts when at around five years old she was able to copy a Hello Kitty character printed in a wallet. She occasionally won art contests in schools.
- Elaine Venegas has her medical practice in Antique. She said, “The intense emotions of joy, hurt, and love bring an artist to her canvas…not just for the world to see but for her own sanity.”
Make sure to catch their works in Museo Iloilo until March 28, 2019./PN
