The Life and Works of Dr. Ronnie Lim

The man behind these oil paintings did not initially aspire to a career in front of the canvas. Though he was an avid sketcher as a young boy who bested his fellow students in art class, Dr. Lim entered the B.S. Biology program at the University of Santo Tomas as an aspiring doctor. After getting accelerated and graduating cum laude, he continued his studies at the UST College of Medicine. Anatomy classes at med school solidified his creative talent, encouraging him to cultivate his sketching skills. After graduating and taking his pediatric residency at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in 1993, Lim decided to pursue business. Finally, in late 2008, Lim discovered and became remarkably invested in painting; a devotion that is evident in his work.

Having initiated his training under Renante "Rey" Aurelio at the Arte Pintura Gallery, adapting to the art form quickly and subsequently breaking off to work independently, Dr. Lim taught himself further techniques using a wide range of sources, focusing particularly on the masters. Since 2010, his works have been exhibited in various galleries around Metro Manila, several of which were one-man shows. A prolific artist, Dr. Lim generates output consistently, whether as commissioned works for his clients or for his own sheer enjoyment. Incredibly passionate and wholly dedicated to his craft, his love for the form is captured in the intimacy of his works, several of which feature close-up interpretations of a disparate range of personas, from ballerinas to common Filipino folk, boxers to religious icons.

The artist is particularly fascinated by animals: many of his works feature tigers, horses, or koi. Dr. Lim cites Rembrandt, David, Bouguereau, and local artist Romulo Galicano as his favorites. Lim has mastered structure and accuracy in his realist art, representing not life in the strict sense, but life as one experience it.