Art viewers are invited to explore the intricate dualities of strength and vulnerability that are rendered with equal measures of ferocity and grace during "Teeth and Tenderness", which is running at Tang Contemporary Art, until April 20.
This is the first solo exhibition in Bangkok by Kim Lim, a Manila-based painter and interior designer who has created a serene garden on her canvas, a landscape woven with branches, grass and vibrant colour fields that encircle and protect unease and sensitive caution, organising speech and confession.
Within this gentle scenery lies not only vulnerability but also a soft yet resilient strength. Under a colourful sky supported by umbrella-like mushrooms and intersecting tree trunks, amidst vines as delicate as silk threads and entangled leaves, sharp lines are accentuated by delicate forms, revealing teeth as clear as geometric dividers.
The appearance of teeth pierces through the soft hues, akin to a conspiracy of tenderness and violence. The tiny rows of teeth and the multi-layered depth of the landscape collectively point to the spiritual tension of breaking free from constraints, as metaphorically suggested by the artist. They embody a stubborn resistance born from fragility.
Kim Lim is dedicated to using art as a tool for healing and empowerment, particularly for women. Her paintings often portray the raw and unfiltered narratives of female experiences, creating a paradoxical tapestry where fairy-tale aesthetics intersect with the stark realities of life.
Her artistic practice is defined by a masterful interplay of the dreamlike and the visceral. Her symbolic compositions and hauntingly evocative narratives compel viewers to confront reality with unflinching courage and clarity.
Tang Contemporary Art is located at Room 201-206, River City Bangkok on Charoen Krung 24 and opens Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm.
Visit tangcontemporary.com.
