William Lim

An art collector, artist, educator and the architect behind the H Queen’s art hub, William Lim is a prolific individual. An early supporter of home-grown art, Lim began snapping up works by local artists more than a decade ago. ‘We discovered the Hong Kong art scene at a time when nobody really paid much attention to it,’ he says, explaining that he naturally gravitated towards deeply personal pieces. His instincts told him they would be important one day, and they proved to be right. Last year, new visual culture museum M+ accepted Lim and his wife Lavina’s impressive donation of 90 works by 53 artists from Hong Kong and elsewhere.

For Lim, the role of a collector goes beyond simply buying works for himself or donating them to institutions. ‘You start to be involved in an art community,’ he says. ‘I go to art schools and attend their graduate programmes too. Acquiring art is also a good way to encourage young artists to keep going.’ Throughout his collecting journey, Lim has promoted local talent, whether it has been through publishing a book, loaning works to overseas museums or organising exhibitions abroad. These days, he’s focusing on his own painting practice while continuing to expand his collection.

Prominent art collector, artist, educator and architect William Lim’s impressive private collection has featured in exhibitions at the likes of Grotto Fine Art (top), and in Lim’s former studio space in Wong Chuk Hang (middle) Images by Nirut Benjabanpot