Deborah Lim
Who’s Gonna Stop Me? Digital Media “The question isn’t who is going to let me, it’s who is going to stop me” – Ayn Rand Ambiguity pervades our everyday existence in a multi-cultural society which both embraces Westernisation and yet clings on to traditionalism. Western values, with seductive ideals such as freedom and the empowerment of the individual seem opposed to more conservative Asian values such as discipline and self-control. Both value systems have a place in the Singapore psyche and we navigate between the two on a daily basis. Most times, we find a way to marry both value systems within ourselves. At other times, dilemma and conflict take over. This work depicting Chinese symbolic animals illustrates what happens when one cultural system trespasses on the boundaries of another. A dragon for transformation, a crane for longevity, a tiger for bravery, a fighting fish for abundance and a phoenix for virtue and the favour of the heavens. The dragon and the phoenix both represent the coming together of yin and yang which are complementary. Layered on top is the unavoidable influence of the West—a kaleidoscopic and scintillating experience screaming liberation and freedom of thought and will. Which is trespassing upon the other? |
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LIM Shi Yi Deborah is a third-year business student at SMU, majoring in Corporate Communications and Arts and Culture Management. She has always loved art and specializes in pencilwork, ink and digital designs (with her digital tablet being her newest medium that she loves to death, almost as much as she loves cats.) She is looking to a career in Arts Management, while continuing to weave dreams through practicing fine art and creating psychedelic art-scapes on the side.
More of her work is available at www.deborah-lim.com.