Photo: Dim Sum series/Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy
Cover Dim Sum series (Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy)

Queen of all things macabre and stomach turning, artist Lim Qixuan, better known as Qimmyshimmy, sits down with Tatler Singapore for an interview about her unconventional artistic oeuvre

Baby heads wrapped up in a dumpling wrapper, bodily organs nestled like the char siu in a bun and infantile limbs resting on a plate in a dim sum bamboo basket.

Welcome to the world of Qimmyshimmy.

Depending on who you are, artist Lim Qixuan, better known as Qimmyshimmy, just might be the sculptor of your scariest nightmares or beguiling dreams because her works boldly celebrate motifs and ideas that involve unearthing and exposing the morbid and creepy such as various bodily organs and disjointed infant limbs.

See also: Artist Lim Pui Wan Creates Miniature Sculptures That Are Big On Nostalgic Charm

She doesn’t mind shocking people with disturbing thematic concepts of disfigured and severed infantile imagery and casting them into delectable vessels of food—which could be considered as sacrilegious by some—because she actively seeks to create dissident and thought-provoking conversations as people view her artworks and entire artistic oeuvre. Her openness to criticism and celebration of clashing dialogues with regard to her works highlight her mission to make art come alive and the multi-dimensionality of her sculptures also invoke this philosophy. 

We speak to the artist about her inspiration points and sculpting journey so far.

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Tatler Asia
Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy
Above Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy

As a self-described “accidental sculptor”, what initially inspired and encouraged you to get into the sculpting business?

Qimmyshimmy (Q) I call myself an “accidental sculptor{ because it was not something I intended to do when I started my creative journey. I was formally trained in graphic design and am now working full-time as a UX designer. I have always been experimenting with many different kinds of art forms growing up, but was never really able to find my personal style until I discovered sculpting. Sculpting gives my ideas a tactility and dimension that I am not able to achieve through illustration or painting.

Your works emanate a bold aesthetic juxtaposition in that you combine the monstrous and freakish form with the tasty food motifs that are present in your sculptures. How did this idea come about and what do you hope for people to experience when they view your works?

Q My works have always been about finding that sweet spot between beauty and horror. I achieve a sense of visual surrealism by taking the familiar and turning it into something strange and surprising. Because of that, it is most common for me to get my inspiration from everyday things and activities—like my trips to the supermarket and the patisserie have inspired my Canned and SweetTooth series respectively.

I got into working with the food motif as there is such a rich history and strong association with food looking desirable and seductive to our senses. That makes it a terrific motif to work with, because when this notion of beauty is replaced with somethings that one might find strange or even repulsive, it creates that undeniable tension—the push and pull effect of feeling attracted and repulsed at the same time.

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Tatler Asia
Photo: Canned/Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy
Above Canned series (Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy)
Tatler Asia
Photo: SweetTooth/Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy
Above SweetTooth series (Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy)

We read that you have received many negative and rude comments about your works, and that you are happy to receive them as your works are meant to provoke a reaction. Do you think they have a misunderstanding about your art that you would like to address and correct, or how do you handle this kind of controversial response?

Q Yes, I believe that a negative response is also a valid response, and I don’t expect everyone to like or appreciate my work. I have to clarify that I do not create my works to provoke a reaction though—they happened to, but it was never the intention. I do not think people who dislike my art misunderstand it, as my art is not meant to be understood in any particular way, and therefore, there isn't really a “correct” way either. Being able to look at my work and offer a different, more interesting perspective is always refreshing to me, and I never want to take that away from my audience. 

People often ask me how I deal with the controversy and hate comments. Some of my closest friends also worry about how it affects my mental health! My quick tip is to just do you. Don't get so affected by what people say or think about you, especially the ones who have never met you! I attribute my “thick skin” to growing up with very critical Asian parenting, so negativity does not really affect me or my sense of self-worth (the effects of tough love you see!).

See also: From Picasso To Zao Wou-Ki: This Singapore-based Art Restorer Is Preserving Fine Masterpieces From History's Greatest Artists

Tatler Asia
Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy
Above Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy
Tatler Asia
Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy
Above Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy

What kind of value and perspective do you find in challenging and provoking society by presenting artworks that make people feel uncomfortable?

Q That everyone is entitled to love what they love! So long as it is not committing a crime or hurting someone else, I think people should be able to follow their fantasies and obsessions without judgement. A lot of people find Singaporeans a little too safe and “vanilla”, but we really aren’t. I hope for a Singapore where people can just be proud of who they are—to be bold and unique, and that also takes our society to be more open, more tolerant, and be able to celebrate all our quirks and differences.

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Tatler Asia
Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy
Above Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy

Your recurring themes of the human grotesque, bodily organs and infantile imagery are fascinatingly realistic yet almost sacrilegious in a way as it essentially shows the inversion of the hidden, vital organs to the external world. How would you describe the thinking process behind them and physical execution of accurately creating your artworks?

I have always been fascinated by the human body. I am particularly intrigued by how it functions, and how the very things that we find repulsive and scary to look at, are the things closest to us and keeping us alive.

To create them I require a lot of visual references, which is why I collect many anatomy books, and have to do some pretty weird Google searches. I think working with a theme like this is also about knowing when to dial things back—when the work gets too gory it will start to look like a Halloween prop. Knowing how far to push it is quite crucial, which is why you will never catch me dripping fake blood anywhere on my work!

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Tatler Asia
Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy
Above Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy
Tatler Asia
Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy
Above Photo: Courtesy of Qimmyshimmy

What would you say are some challenges and obstacles that you face in your creative work along with your full-time job as a UX designer (to my knowledge)?

You said it—balancing all of it can be quite difficult sometimes. I work full-time as a designer and also lecture part-time in a university, so knowing how to manage my time on top of leaving enough time for myself is a must. It is the constant switching between two modes of working that can be really tiring, but in the recent years I have learned what works best for me—one thing at a time, take it slow, and breathe!

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What other exciting things can we expect from you in the future that our readers should know about?

Definitely more shows will be coming up, and new shows mean new works! I love travelling to my shows so I really hope I will take on more opportunities once air travel is allowed again. I often get berated by my friends as I have showed so much abroad but never had a solo show locally, so I am also considering an opportunity to show in Singapore soon!

Qimmyshimmy’s work can be found on her website and Instagram.

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