Lim Ah Cheng

Biography

Born in Malaysia in 1971, Lim Ah Cheng has always been taciturn even as a child. While he hardly expresses any strong opinions on any subject, his art reflects a different side of him. Painting was initially a hobby for Lim and it was only when he was 26 years that he started to paint for a living. Today, his mixed media images of wild horses, vibrant dancers and musicians, draw parallels with such Chinese inkmasters as Xu Beihong (1895-1953). Lim's highly “fluid” style show acertain understanding and appreciation of various media including oil, acrylic and Chinese ink. The actual medium of his paintings is a combination of both oil and acrylic, or rather, mixed media. Lim combines an Oriental identity with his brushstrokes in a Western medium, but with a modern interpretation. He likes to paint horses because they are revered for their strength and beauty. 

Metamorphosis

For the past 17 years, horses have been a predominant subject matter on Lim’s canvases. In his most recent series, Lim pursues a more introspective tone in his art, reflecting personal insights through the use of graphic elements such as Roman Numbering, Folded Paper Planes and other geometrical forms. He integrates this element with his perennial motif of horses to create the Metamorphosis series.

This series focuses on his new introspective exploration with a major part of the exhibition using various horses in motion and are aptly titled Horses and Dreams. Folded paper planes play another major role. It is reflective of memories drawn from Lim’s childhood where the planes, with written thoughts encompassed in them, become a symbolic expression for an individual’s hopes and dreams. Combined with the element of the horse, these contemporary paintings, emphasises the idea of speed creating a visual feast of expression.

Limited Edition Series

The Limited Edition series is an exploration of contemporary society’s constant demand for the accumulation of material possessions. This is most expressed in Lim’s use of the Roman numerals and efficiently expressed through his painting technique.

Lim uses acrylic paint with Chinese ink in a flurry of brushstrokes. This divergence from the traditional norms of medium usage creates a fascinating play of layers, space and light concluding in an intensely contemporary feel.

In his more recent works, Lim develops the uses of geometric shapes such as lines, squares, triangles explored in a contemporary calligraphic style. Again, he integrates his traditional subject of the horse onto the canvas and the result of that is an expressive work that allows the vital energy of the motif to transpose onto the canvas.