Sergi Cadenas | Chaplin and Einstein

Courtesy of the artist and Ode to Art

From a distance, Spanish painter Sergi Cadenas’s paintings look like lenticular prints, unveiling two different faces when seen from different angles. However, his works are painstakingly executed by hand to produce this optical effect. Candenas’ process begins by sketching out the two overlapping images to determine the composition and where the relief would be placed. He then applies vertical ridges onto the canvas, one line at a time, and prepares the surface with a special ground. Thereafter, he transfers the image onto both sides of the relief and carefully paints them to achieve the intended outcome.

This piece features two iconic figures from the 20^th century: English actor Charlie Chaplin dressed as his on-screen character the Tramp, and the German-born theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. The painting celebrates the friendship shared between these two distinguished individuals.

Cadenas has had solo exhibitions in Singapore, Brazil and Barcelona. His work can be found in the collection of Porrentruy Optical Art Museum (POPA) in Switzerland and in private collections around the world.