Lim Ah Cheng

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About the artwork

Horses have always been symbols of grace and power, and known to be loyal companions of humankind for centuries. Blessed with intel- ligence and speed, these magnificent creatures are the animal king- dom’s equivalent of ‘beauty and brains’. In several ancient civilizations and cultures, horses bore spiritual meaning as well. In the art world, they have been immortalized in paintings and drawings since prehistoric times and have been reverently illustrated through the ages, from the great Roman, Macedonian and Persian empires, as well as many of history’s most lauded civilizations, such as the Greek, Assyrian, Chinese and Indian civilizations.

About the artist

Lim Ah Cheng's oeuvre of paintings of wild horses, dancers and musicians draw much parallel to the works of Chinese ink masters like Xu Beihong. He employs a highly 'fluid' style that is reminiscent of Chinese ink painting, but uses it with western media such as oils and acrylics. This merger of East and West techniques, coupled with Fauvist and Futurist influences found within the use of vibrant colours and emphasis on capturing speed and movement, give his work a sense of universal appeal. Loose and expressive brushwork is aptly used to capture the speed and gracefulness of the horse's movement. This is complemented with the colors that he employs, of deep blacks contrasted against hues of yellow and brown. His "Metamorphosis" series carries this subject matter one step further, using horses as a platform to offering an introspective exploration of his personal childhood memories.