Artist Lim Qixuan, or better known as her online moniker Qimmyshimmy, has a strong following of over 110,000 followers for creating baby heads, eyeballs and other interesting body parts out of clay.
On top of that, she incorporates these intricate pieces of art into a range of everyday objects from sweet wrappers to sardine cans. Made in her signature pastel-pink form to replicate actual limbs, her thought-provoking artwork of deformity is meant to cause reaction among viewers and her fans alike.
After going viral last year, we decided to find out more about her upcoming plans.
She is currently preparing for upcoming group shows in London and Melbourne. The artist recently returned to Singapore after a stint studying in the Netherlands and is hoping to feature in local shows while she is back.
Finding Inspiration
Qixuan told us that she was an “accidental sculptor,” finding herself building oven-baked clay sculptures back in 2013. She then started experimenting with different subjects and found her current aesthetic—imagining baby heads as macarons and decadent pies filled with gory hearts.
Qixuan aims to capture both the “beautiful and the grotesque” in her work and revolve her designs around everyday objects. She finds the idea of turning familiarity into something curious and fascinating, especially baby heads—a vulnerable and fragile being into something that makes one uncomfortable.
The response from the public hasn’t always been positive, but she kept going despite some negativity that her work has garnered. Her work has been called “creepy-cute” and has generated interesting dialogue by social media users.
Her inspiration tends to come from all walks of life and everyday items such as art forms, films, books to paintings. She finds herself relating more towards physical items such as cluttered provision ships, vintage/thrift stores and interestingly has a fascination with how people arrange things, such as in a supermarket or pharmacy.
A Double Edged Sword
Since going viral in 2017, Qixuan admits to recognising the frivolity of the internet and not letting that viral streak affect her. Whilst she received many accolades from people all over the world who adored her work, others were not too kind in their praise.
The streak in 2017 opened doors for her and afforded her the opportunity to feature her work everywhere, proving once again how globalising the internet is.
Social media has been a useful avenue for Qixuan, but has also proven to be a double edged sword, with her work being used to spread fake news or turned into memes.
Speaking about the design realm in Singapore, Qixuan sees a country bursting with potential for growth in the arts scene.
Whilst appreciation for the arts is not quite at a level comparable to the Netherlands—where her formative years as a student there exposed her to a different art loving society—she sees potential as Singapore to grow into an artistic society. For the scene to grow, the audience also plays a part and has to be receptive to the creative works the artists have created, she added.
In a note to aspiring artists out in Singapore, she pushes creative to work hard and smart to achieve their dreams, especially in a pragmatic country such as Singapore.
Featured Image: Source/Ong Wee Kiat