Tatler Time Travel
Lim Wei-ling looks back on the interesting career turns that made her who she is today
It is one thing to admire an artwork through LED screens. It is a whole other experience to appreciate each brushstroke up close, embracing thoughtfully expressive colours, and connecting with an artwork in a personal way. Having been raised in an artistic family, Lim Wei-ling is only too familiar with the power of art to evoke emotions.
When she first graced Tatler Malaysia’s cover in May 2003, Lim was fresh out of her first solo exhibition and the proud owner of her newly-minted Townhouse Gallery. Starting out as a jewellery designer, Lim’s business epiphany led her to pursue a career as a stockbroker, acquiring and honing her business intuition which would prove vital later in life. After eight years, she took a year off to revive her passion for painting which eventually led to her first exhibition. Fast forward to the present, Lim not only owns two successful art galleries, she has also launched the local art scene onto the world stage.
Speaking about her proudest achievements, Lim recounts the moment when her gallery was chosen to represent Malaysia at Art Basel Hong Kong—the first Malaysian gallery to do so. She achieved this feat three times, introducing contemporary artists such as Ivan Lam and Anurendra Jegadeva to the world.
She similarly cherished her recent appointment by the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia to head Malaysia’s first national pavilion at the 2019 Venice Art Biennale. Together with Creador Foundation, BRDB and Seeing Eye Films, the quartet debuted the Malaysian pavilion at the biennale, which is often touted as the ‘Olympics of the art world’. These achievements are certainly no small feat.
Lim’s eye for art was nurtured from young as her architect father Prof Dr Jimmy Lim and violinist mother Winnie Cheah regularly brought their children to galleries and exhibitions.
“I firmly believe in the artists I work with and am constantly thinking of platforms to nurture, elevate and promote them both locally and internationally,” Lim explains. Perhaps this is the secret to the success of her two galleries situated in Brickfields and The Gardens Mall, proving that passion can make for a rewarding pursuit.
When asked about the advent of digitalisation in the art world, Lim was decidedly reserved although optimistic. Developments such as digital art and virtual galleries have undeniably made the art world more accessible. However, she believes changes such as collecting
art digitally will not happen anytime soon.
We particularly resonated when Lim remarked that “art does get lost in translation on a gadget”. As many art lovers would agree, the thrill of attending an exhibition, especially one housed in a beautiful wooden space such as the Wei-ling Gallery, cannot be replicated virtually. To truly appreciate a work of art, is to see it in person.