I'm honoured to be invited to represent Singapore in The World Triennial of Prints and Original Engravings in France. As one of four artists holding up the flag for the ‘red dot’, it’s been a great chance to make some new work. Chamalieres is a region famous for the paper mills used originally to produce bank notes. Some 400 artists will join from various nations with prizes for the winning participants. I'm proud to be represented by art print specialist LUDO Gallery. These prints will be available shortly for purchase.
Local Singapore Experience
Connecting to different cultures is definitely of my passions. I live in the ‘heartland’ area of Toa Payoh, which is one of the oldest public housing estates in the country. The best part about living here is the large local market. A gathering point for much of the community, it's a fabulous experience that I try to share with others. When I lived in Japan, I loved exploring my local neighbourhood, and I'm now enjoy doing the same in Singapore.
Complete with a 'wet' area for fresh fish and meat, it also has small shops selling anything from clothing, joss papers, mobile phones and shoes. Freshly made kueh and char siew roast pork can also be found. Come durian season, you'll immediately know it too! My background in Japanese means I can read nearly everything, and understand nearly nothing...ahaha!
I teach some of my art workshops at my home studio. I didn't plan it this way, but students have recently remarked on the insight into local culture they get when they visit. After finding their way to my ‘point block’ in the corner of Toa Payoh (former opposition territory and now undergoing a terrific upgrading program), they start to get a feel for the peculiarities of this some 40-year-old spot of Singapore.
Nearly every element of my workshops involves a local business. At 'kueh' time, I bring out freshly-made snacks from my market shop. The uncle who runs this shop has his midday snooze by 11am, so I always hurry over early in the morning to buy the day's treats.
I sometimes focus on Peranakan tiles for my workshops. As such tiles are normally found on old shophouses around Singapore and Malaysia, I have to spread my wings a little further for those....like Tanjong Pagar! My great-grandfather helped establish a clan temple there that has many fabulous tiles. Otherwise, you'll find me trekking around Club Street or Joo Chiat area on the hunt for those elusive heritage tiles.
I also buy a lot of my equipment from the local market, and by now most shop keepers vaguely understand what I do. Or at least pretend to! The dried good shop is run by Mr. Ah Leh - my lunchtime buddy since I nearly always sit near his shop. He's also a substitute grandfather for my children, who will scamper off and investigate his amazing array of products.
I also pride myself on being reasonably ‘eco-friendly’ since I wash and re-use most of plastic plates and tools for printing. Students usually giggle when I wrap their finished works in a certain waxy brown paper - you may know what I mean if you eat chicken rice! Works perfectly to protect the fabric from any damp paint spots.
After class, my students and I often head down to the market for lunch. We sometimes go and see Malaysian seamstress Mrs. Ng if she doesn’t look too busy, and show her the fabulous creations that the students have made. I think she gets a lot of pride at seeing how her hard work is appreciated by others.
Feeling rather hungry by now, we'll go to the cooked food section for a well-deserved feed! Yummy 'char siew' roast pork and dumpling noodles are my favourite, and made by a handsome chap and his Peranakan mother. I've rarely seen roast pork or dumplings made on the premises and it really does taste different. I hope he gets on Makan bus tour lineup soon! But then I'll have to wait in line...:)
I feel a great sense of joy when I see students from countries such as Japan, Australia and the UK creating a ‘handmade’ connection to Singapore. Hopefully, their experience with heartland culture will stay with them, and somehow help contribute to better understanding of different people and places.
Art & Yum Cha in Hong Kong
I enjoyed catching the Asia Contemporary Art Show and Hong Kong Art Central during a very quick weekend visit. Some particularly impressive galleries included The Gallery Eumundi, Artify Gallery, Art Seasons and Over The Influence.
I was pleased to see the striking artwork of Japanese artist Shinji Omaki. I've admired his work since interpreting for him during an artist talk at Singapore Art Museum Art Garden a few years ago. His installation work really brings out the best in him but these round artworks capture the essence of his vision.
Urban scenes by former Brisbane deputy mayor David Hinchliffe are evocative of contemporary life in Hong Kong, but could be almost any other busy city in the world. Having lived some five years in Tokyo, I was drawn to his colourful depictions of architecture and cityscapes.
It's been some 15 years since I was last in Hong Kong, but I found it much more enjoyable this time with some basic Mandarin under my belt. 'I want that' is always a handy phrase to know! It was a whirlwind three days and I thank my fellow artist and friend Michelle Ma for looking after me. There's nothing like hanging out with someone who really knows her way around town! Grateful to the support crew back home for letting me go away for the business of art. :)
Peranakan Printing & Japanese Alumni Friends
What happens when you get a group of Japanese alumni friends and neighbours together in Singapore? Lots of fun and laughter, and some beautiful Peranakan inspired prints!
Active Women in Singapore Series - Japanese Blog feature
Gorgeous Peranakan Inspired Artwork by Artist With Strong Ties To Japan
Active Women in Singapore series
Jennifer Lim is an Australian artist residing in Singapore with a surprisingly deep connection to Japan. In the fourth part of our series on Active Women in Singapore, I'd like to introduce Jennifer and delve into her interesting background.
Although she was born in Sydney, Jennifer’s father is Singaporean and her mother is Australian. As an artist, Jennifer’s work is rich with originality and creativity through her fusing of cultures and her experience of various countries and regions. Her long-time ties to Japan can be felt upon seeing her art and glancing at her resume. Jennifer is also a fluent speaker and reader of Japanese.
When Jennifer was six years old, she moved from Australia to Japan after her mother took up a year-long position as a visiting lecturer at the University of Tokyo. At that time, her mother’s love for art, and ukiyoe prints in particular, had a huge impact on Jennifer, which she says influenced her career choice immensely.
When she was in high school, she visited Japan again as an exchange student. She attended a public high school in Nagoya, where she wore a ‘sailor’ style uniform while clutching a dictionary in her hand. After returning to Australia, she was accepted into the Australian National University. In her third year of university, she joined a year-long exchange student program at Kyoto Seika University.
It was during this period that Jennifer became increasingly interested in Kyoto’s unique culture and frequently visited antique stores and flea markets. She began collecting kimono and now owns a sizeable collection. She sometimes even wears them when she goes out to events.
Even after becoming an adult, her ties with Japan continued to grow. Her first job brought her to Okinawa, which she chose because of its unique indigenous culture and historic connection to China. She began working for the international relations section at the Okinawa Prefectural Government. During this time, her interest further grew in Okinawa’s colorful and unique culture. She later moved to Tokyo and continued working as a translator and interpreter at a city bank and various embassies.
Amid her busy life, Jennifer was suddenly forced to deal with a near-death of a close family member. This experience became the reason for shift back to the world of art. She moved to Singapore and started to embark on her true passion.
Since having two children, Jennifer has managed her time so that she can share her love of art with others. She has taught at LASALLE College of the Arts and regularly hosts workshops at her studio and externally. She is active in the art world and participates in art festivals and art exhibitions.
I recently attended a workshop by Jennifer and learnt to print using the Japanese woodblock technique. I found her teaching style to be very open and relaxed. Many of her art workshops focus on Peranakan culture due to Jennifer's interest in her heritage. Her artwork is also unique and frequently contains references to her background. She uses linocut printing, and traditional Japanese woodblock printing as the result of her student days in Kyoto.
Work in Progress - Belgium Blossoms
Inspired by a heritage tile I spotted at my great-grandfather's ancestral temple on Cantonment Road. Seven blocks are needed for this technically challenging print - and lots of chocolate to keep me going!
Peranakan Cultural Ambassadors - the Next Japanese Generation
The next generation of Peranakan culture lovers! A group of budding Japanese artists recently produced some gorgeous work in a private printing workshop. With English up their sleeve, these kids may well be future ambassadors for Peranakan culture in ways we can't imagine.
Also a mother, I love seeing the confidence and sense of wonder on my kids' faces when we do art together. I recently held a private workshop for parents and kids to learn some Peranakan inspired printmaking. It was lovely to see parents designing and creating with one or even two of their children!
Affordable Art Fair Spring Singapore
Some students, friends and I recently checked out Affordable Art Fair Spring in Singapore. We enjoyed chatting to the directors of Artify, Tokyo Gallery and the Tolman Collection. See some photos from a fun morning!
Peranakan Art Corporate Team Bonding Workshops
Great to see a corporate design team getting creative at one of Singapore's oldest Hokkien temples! Yummy Kueh sweets and local coffee powered our enjoyable carving and printing session. Surrounded by Peranakan floor tiles and the nearby Peranakan Tile Gallery, there was lots of inspiration!
Solo Art Show at the Australian High Commission Singapore
I'm looking forward to showing my new collection of work in October 2017! Many thanks to the Australian High Commission in Singapore for agreeing to host my show. I'll be creating a series of new prints and paintings...and going big! Join my mailing list to follow my creative process.
Show Synopsis
Australian artist Jennifer Lim presents a collection of works based on her personal history and connection to Singapore. In her second solo exhibition, Jennifer explores her Hokkien and Peranakan roots alongside the language and landscape common to this island nation. An evocative narrative of history and heritage, Jennifer’s prints and paintings depict a physical and inner journey relevant to an ever interconnected world.
Children's Printing Workshop
Looking for interesting experiences for your children? Book a printing session tailored made to your group! In this recent workshop, I had parents with children as young as five years enjoy a two-hour session of printing. It was a fun and satisfying morning for both parents and children as they produced some colourful works as part of a home schooling art activity. It's also a good way for kids to connect to Singapore's heritage since many of the rubber blocks we use in the workshop are inspired by Peranakan tile design.
World Printmaking Triennial in France
I'm excited to be selected as one of four artists representing Singapore at The World Triennial of Prints and Original Engravings in September. Looking forward to creating some new works especially for this show! I'd also like to thank LUDO Gallery for their support.
I've always been keen on many aspects of French culture including architecture, interiors and fashion. It's ironic that my interest in floor and wall tiles in Singapore led me to the fleur-de-lis or flower-de-luce. The fleur-de-lis symbol depicts a stylized lily or lotus flower, and is said to represent French royalty as well as perfection, light, and life. Elegant floral tiles inspired by this motif can be found in many traditional Peranakan shophouses. We'll see what the next few weeks in the studio produce for this show!
The Next Generation - LASALLE College of the Arts
Love teaching the next generation! I recently enjoyed teaching Fashion Diploma students at LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore. Seems like just yesterday when I was printmaking student at university! It's great to see students from Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, China and Singapore learning together.
It was really interesting to see what kind of motifs the students came up with. Some also used my Peranakan tile inspired rubber blocks along with their own blocks, and the results were amazing. I hope the overseas students learn all they can about the various cultural influences behind modern day Singapore while they are here. I look forward to seeing the fashion lines that they produce in the near future!
Chinese New Year Printing
I always enjoy running my Chinese New Year printing workshops in January. Students recently enjoyed a special series of seasonally inspired printing sessions to make decorative table runners. Students used a library of Peranakan tile designs, Chinese auspicious flowers and Chinese written characters to create gorgeous personalised designs. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Three Things You Wondered About Chinese New Year in Singapore
Why Are Winter Flowers Popular in Singapore?
Since the government ramped up its anti-mozzie campaign, my house has been proudly pot-plant free. It suits my less-than-green thumb, but I admit that I miss having flowers and plants in the house. A recent visit to Fairprice Extra (the Super K-mart of Singapore) saw me come away with a huge bunch of peonies and plum blossoms - all created from hardy plastic! The saleslady and I had a good time chatting about the play on words for ‘flower’ in Chinese. There is a saying "Hua Kai Fu Gui (花开富貴)", which means, ‘When Flowers Bloom, Prosperity Comes’. In addition to looking nice, these flowers each have their own symbolism. For example, peach blossoms symbolise growth, prosperity, long life and romance - and thus popular with some single people! At any rate, these cold climate flowers remind me of a Chinese winter land, which is a refreshing thought in the tropical heat of Singapore.
Why is (Australian) Abalone Everywhere?
I’ve often noticed the expensive cans of abalone in glass cabinets at the supermarket checkout, but packing crates full of the stuff is suddenly almost blocking aisles. Another homophone (words that share the same pronunciation but have different meanings), abalone is known in Chinese as baoyu, which can also mean "assurance" (bao) and "surplus" (yu) in the year ahead. It’s a popular food to eat for business people, and since SMEs make up 99% of business in Singapore, that means almost everyone! In fact, you’ll see it commonly in new year corporate hampers and auspicious gift packs.
Why So Many Broomsticks?
Brooms of every kind are still popular in Singapore, even the type made of long twigs seen more often in children’s story tales. At this time of the year, they feature prominently at the front of our local hardware store along with cleaning cloths and storage baskets. I haven’t lived in China, but I noticed that as a high-school student in Japan, cleaning in mid winter was a big deal. I have clear memories of cleaning dusty old classrooms while shivering in my plastic slippers and school uniform. Wringing icy water in the winter wasn't much fun - but I guess was good for the soul! At least in Singapore, the weather is a bit more conducive to cleaning. And for those with a more relaxed outlook on having everything in its place, you could put off cleaning until the last minute. Why? Because after Chinese New Year arrives, one is not supposed to have any brooms around lest your luck is swept away. But with all the floral decorations and goodies around, you won't be short on that!
Peranakan Prints - new collection out soon!
If you're looking for unique textile pieces with a Singapore flavour, visit the Raffles Hotel Christmas Bazaar to see my new Peranakan tile inspired fabric prints! I'm very excited about my latest project - translating fabric designs into useful interior items to bring a bit of Peranakan inside our homes. These prints have been created by hand using rubber blocks carved by myself with a lot of love and patience!
Details: Raffles Hotel Christmas Bazaar, Raffles Arcade North Bridge Road Atrium, #01-16/17 on 10th & 11th December 2016, 11am to 9pm
Sizes include: Small Square 40cm x 40cm | Small Table Runner 30cm x 90cm | Medium Table Runner 30cm x 130cm
My ever-energetic and talented friend Mishell Leong of Milc By Mishell will be kindly displaying my handmade creations at her booth at the Bazaar. You won't be able to miss Mishell's table - it's sure to stand out with her lively and cheerful artwork that includes her popular peony coasters! Mishell is a fellow artist whom I've had the pleasure of getting to know through the networking group BWNSG. It's so nice to support other creatives and help each other out. Mishell is an amazing go-getter and I've always admired her positive outlook on life!
Peranakan Prints collection will soon also be available online!
M.C.Escher in Singapore
EXCURSION - M.C.ESHER EXHIBITION
I'm excited that the ArtScience Museum is showing the works of M. C. Escher, one of the world’s most famous graphic artists! I plan to have a look-see in November and would love to have some company!
Date: Thursday 24 November, 2016
Time: 2:30pm sharp at the lower ground level of ArtScience Museum. Please buy your ticket beforehand and be ready to be amazed!
RSVP: Please email me by 22 November. info (at) jenniferlimart.com
Who Are The Peranakans?
Spicy dishes, tropical coloured outfits and grand shophouses - the Peranakan Chinese feature frequently in Singapore tourism brochures but their true identity still remains mysterious to many. My research into my father’s background has helped me to discover that this intriguing culture extends well beyond just prawn paste and beaded slippers. So who are these Chinese-looking people with unique tastes influenced by Chinese, Malay and European elements?
Read MoreTile Trade Series - New Work Coming Soon
The latest print in the Tile Trade series is on its way! Wealth & Luck was the first print I made almost a year ago after discovering a connection between Singapore and Japan in the form of wasei (Japanese made) majolica tiles. It seems that these relief tiles were customised to feature auspicious fruits, flowers and symbols commonly seen in Chinese culture.
This 'sibling' block also has a terrific story that I unearthed after making some amazing discoveries about my family history in Singapore. It was inspired by a tile I discovered at a temple built with donations made by people including my great grandfather, Lim Nee Yam. The original tile is from Holland and is also a design popular among Japanese visitors.
Take a peek at the process behind making my first block!
Melbourne Specialist International School Art Exhibition 2016
Doing good with my Mind Map III print at Melbourne International Specialist School's recent fundraising event. Held at RedDot Fine Art Gallery, it was a great turn-out with many of my artists friends including Julie Williams, Michelle Mah, Linda Preece, Toni Lopez, Merryn Trevethan and Tatyana Kildisheva also donating work. A great night for a worthwhile cause - and lovely to meet some of the students from the school!
The Mind Map series was inspired by my years of traveling between Singapore and Japan. The watery landscape seen from above reminds me of my personal connection to nature. With three generations of my family in Singapore having worked in the maritime industry, to me the sea is symbol of history and life.