Interview with artist Ye Cheng about her painting practice

Ye Cheng’s painting practice offers a unique blend of vivid imagination and deep emotional resonance, especially through her use of neon colors to depict landscapes that are more than just visual scenery — they serve as sanctuaries for the mind. Her approach emphasizes that these landscapes aren't intended as direct representations of nature but rather as emotional and mental refuges, creating an escapism rooted in personal and collective memory. In the digital age, Ye Cheng reflects on how our memories are framed by the straight lines and square frames of screens, inspiring her work’s aesthetic and conceptual foundation. This interaction between digital memory and nostalgic longing plays a central role in shaping her artistic identity, making her paintings a bridge between modernity and tradition. Her landscapes evoke the idea of the Chinese mountain not merely as a physical place but as an imagined Arcadia—a sanctuary from the chaos of everyday life. By inviting viewers to embark on a journey inward, her paintings offer space for contemplation, reconnection with the inner child, and a sense of tranquility. The use of neon colors, which do not occur naturally, underlines the fantastical quality of her scenes, challenging conventional landscape art and encouraging an emotional rather than literal interpretation. This color choice reinforces the dreamlike quality and highlights the expressive power of the work. For those interested in exploring how art can merge memory, imagination, and emotion, Ye Cheng’s work illustrates the transformative power of painting. It encourages us to rethink how landscapes can function as mental and emotional havens in contemporary life, inviting us all to find our own inner peace through her vibrant compositions.