λ KIM LIM (SINGAPOREAN/BRITISH 1936-1997)
PADMA III
Portland stone
Signed with monogram and dated '85 (to top of base); further signed with monogram (to underside of upper section)
45 x 22cm (17½ x 8½ in.)
This work is unique.
Provenance:
Bohun Gallery, Henley-on-Thames
Acquired from the above in 2001
Exhibited:
London, Camden Arts Centre, Kim Lim , September-November 1999
Coventry, Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, November-December 1999
In 1953, Kim Lim travelled from Singapore to London to study wood carving at Central Saint Martins under the tutelage of Sir Anthony Caro. By 1956, Lim had enrolled at the Slade School of Fine Art, where she studied sculpture and printmaking. Her body of work explores two-dimensional design and its relationship to three-dimensional form, often beginning with etchings that later inspired sculptural works executed in a range of materials, including wood and metal. Lim held her first solo exhibition in 1966 at Axiom Gallery in London, showcasing a breadth of works that explored form, space, and tactility. Her working process allowed her to develop ideas on a small scale before translating them into large-scale installations. In 1972, Lim released her Ladder series, which comprised etchings of repeated patterns alongside large-scale wooden ladder sculptures. These works encouraged viewers to explore the negative space created through repetition in both printmaking and sculpture.
"I would like my work to be able to infer experiences beyond the piece itself. Infer rather than refer to something specific and particular." Kim Lim
Rather than presenting immediately recognisable objects or forms, Lim invited viewers to find their own interpretations by projecting their emotions and personal responses onto the work. This approach to artistic practice is comparable to that of her husband, William Turnbull, whom she married in 1960. The work of which is also included in Dame Stephanie Shirley's collection. Turnbull and Lim travelled extensively together, sharing encounters with diverse cultures that ultimately influenced both of their artistic practices. Despite these shared experiences, the couple maintained separate studios at their family home in London and worked independently.
Lim was a female sculptor working within an male-dominated artistic environment. Against this backdrop, her inclusion in the 1977 Hayward Annual exhibition, organised by the Arts Council of Great Britain, is particularly significant. Lim was the only female artist represented, exhibiting alongside male contemporaries such as William Turnbull, Anthony Caro, Frank Auerbach, Patrick Caulfield, and John Hoyland. However, the exhibition's selection committee included Lim's husband, Turnbull.
" Being female and foreign was never a problem as a student. Later, I realised that there was a difference, but what was important in the end was what I did and not where I came from. Race and gender were givens I worked from. Perhaps the work does reflect this- which is fine-but I did not want to make them an issue. The sense of not belonging felt a little isolating at times, but it had the compensating element of freedom, a certain feeling of detachment from which one could view both East and West ." Kim Lim
Lim actively resisted categorisation, particularly in relation to her heritage, and did not wish for her work to be interpreted primarily through the lens of foreignness or gender. In 1989, she declined an invitation to participate in The Other Story: Afro-Asian Artists in Post-War Britain at the Hayward Gallery, an exhibition intended to highlight artists overlooked due to Britain's colonial legacy. The exhibition featured artists such as Francis Newton Souza, Balraj Khanna, Anwar Shemza, and Aubrey Williams. Lim's refusal stemmed from her desire not to be "othered."
In 1979, the Roundhouse Gallery staged a retrospective exhibition of Lim's extensive body of work. Following this exhibition, Lim turned her attention exclusively to stone carving, inspired by the Taoist concept of Wu Wei , which simply encourages one to let nature to take its course without interruption. This philosophy became increasingly evident in her practice through references to the natural world and a celebration of elemental forces and their role in shaping society and culture.
The present work titled Padma III sculpted from Portland stone was produced during this period in 1985. Lim carved each sculpture by hand using manual tools and without studio assistants. The stone has been gradually carved away to reveal every layer of its organic matter including the natural imperfections. Lim's emphasis on simplicity of form serves to highlight the power of the material itself, allowing viewers to reflect on their own responses.
' There was nothing but her and her conviction ' Bianca Chu, Sculpting Lives Podcast, 2020
Lim frequently drew upon mythological and cultural references when titling her works providing an abstract narrative to each work of art, such as Pegasus (1962) and Kudah (1989). In this case Padma means lotus flower in Sanskrit and symbolises purity and enlightenment in Hinduism. The lotus is also associated with Hindu deities such as the goddess Lakshmi, who is often depicted standing on a lotus flower and symbolises wealth and purity.
Following the 1979 retrospective at the Roundhouse Gallery, the next major exhibition of Lim's work did not take place until after her death, at Camden Art Centre in 1999. Although Lim's work entered national collections during her lifetime, following her death in 1997 her reputation required renewed recognition. Recent solo exhibitions at Tate Britain in 2020 and the Hepworth Wakefield in 2024 have helped to reignite critical discussion of Lim's work and reaffirm her significant position within the post-war British artistic canon.
Additional Quote
" Rhythm is another preoccupation of mine - the physicality of the feeling of rhythm makes it very sculptural for me. Using it by repeating a form, a rhythm is built up which adds to the resonance of a piece... using rhythm as a pulse - like a bridge in space ." Kim Lim
Condition Report:
The sculpture has a repaired corner to the lower section of the work, this is the right hand corner of the face with two incised lines. There is a further very small repaired chip to the base of the lower section (visible in the catalogue illustration as a small white mark). There is some slight overall surface dirt, especially to the edges. Otherwise the work appears to be in good overall condition.
A conservation report is available for this work, please contact the department.
Condition Report Disclaimer