Michelle Pauline Lim

Michelle Pauline Lim: The essence of being human

We reveal our true selves in solitude. The essence of people is in these private moments no one else ever sees. We need not put on the mask of politeness that we put on everyday in order to live in a society. That is why when you look at Michelle Pauline Lim’s works, they are often solitary figures in an introspective state.

Her works may seem to be deeply personal but have actually found universal appeal. By trying to unmask herself, she has found a common human theme. Michelle or ‘Mitchy’ for short, has exhibited her work in New York, Singapore, and Korea. And everywhere, in spite of cultural differences, the reaction has been the same. They have discovered the truth about themselves in her works.

She captures the unguarded moments when we are our true selves. Her subjects are solitary figures who are in deep thought. This is most apparent in her solo exhibition at the Forth Gallery in Singapore. Her panoramic vistas almost seem to swallow up a solitary figure in “Cry the Fears Dream Walker” and “Where the Rainbow Ends.”

Eyes are both piercing and revealing, while half of the face is covered in “Silently Stealing Away”. The theme is repeated but with the text “Fix Me” on a hanky covering the mouth in “Only Silence Was Spoken”. These two paintings show the most about the person in an ironic manner. She has a fascination for fleeting moments when we unmask ourselves.

One theater student in New York was so moved by her work that she started using expletives (the F- word). Although the female student was actually praising her work, Mitchy was taken aback by the use of the language. More than that, she appreciated the raw emotion the student expressed. “It gave me a sense of fulfillment because that was what I was trying to illicit from people, a real and strong reaction.” She explains that one of the reasons that she brought her work abroad was to find out if they could appreciate them in spite of the cultural differences.

Fernando Amorsolo was her own inspiration to become an artist. At age 12 she saw his “The Lady with a Banga” in Mabuhay magazine. Mitchy was so affected, she tried to copy it. By college she was encouraged to take Architecture, interior design, anything but painting. Being an artist was not seen as a solid career choice.

Out of obedience, she applied for an advertising major but still ended taking up Fine Arts at the University of Santo Tomas. She planned to shift after the first few semesters. But she truly found her calling, especially when she met her batch mates. Batch 2000 from the UST Fine Arts program produced the most recognizable names of young artists today. CJ Tañedo, Ivan Roxas, Linds Lee, Marga Rodriguez, Tara Quinto, and  Jojo Austria, to name a few. Mitch has an ongoing group exhibit titled “Boxed: The Dialogue of Females” with friend and batchmate Marga Rodriguez at the Blanc Compound, near Shaw Boulevard.

College was when she learned about the masters and those that would influence her work. Artists like Salvador Dali and William Waterhouse, who used Greek female mythology sense of beauty and proportion. Dave McKean of the “Sandman” comic series was influential in her use of texture. In “Hourglass” she shares “I’ve been dreaming of a true love’s kiss and a prince who will come with this.” The words are elevated as texture over an oil painting of a rose held behind the back. A real rose that was given to her and has special meaning was included on the surface, creating a dramatic three dimensional feel.

She has a palpable love for painting. She craves the tactile and olfactory sensation of oil. After graduation, she took some time away from painting to find out her career path. She found herself going to art supply shops just to smell the oil tubes. She missed everything about it. It was a calling that she couldn’t deny and knew that it was wrong not to pursue it.

As a student, she has been a finalist in nearly every competition she has joined from the Shell National Student Art Competition to the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Yellow Pages competition. And what it has taught her is humility. Eventually in 2002, she was given an award of excellence from the Manhattan Arts International in New York. And last year, she was at the top ten of the Artrom Gallery International On-Line Art Competition 2008 in Rome.