Last weekend, Manila-based painter Kim Lim flew to Bangkok to unveil an extraordinary exhibition with the Tang Contemporary Art Show, celebrating International Women’s Month.
Her journey as a seasoned interior designer with over 15 years of experience has translated into her approach as a painter, combining her exploration of identity with her knowledge of space, form, and color. “Art has been both a refuge and a release, allowing me to express emotions that words often fail to capture,” she says. Lim’s practice slowly evolved over the years, becoming a way to connect with others, particularly women. This layered perspective breathes life into her paintings, where dreamlike symbolism meets raw, unfiltered emotion.
Teeth and Tenderness, curated by Wang Shiying, dives into the dualities of womanhood, highlighting strength, vulnerability, resilience, and sensitivity. Inspired by personal introspection and the universal themes that bind all women from around the world together, Lim’s art serves as a mirror and a catalyst, inviting viewers to see themselves within her work and embrace the complexity of identity, survival, and transformation. She hopes that viewers will embrace the complexity of introspection and contemplation in oneself.
Through this exhibition, she challenges viewers to recalibrate their perception of the age-old notion that strength and Tenderness are opposites in life. “Teeth represent the raw, untamed power women cultivate in the face of struggle, while tenderness embodies the grace they maintain despite it all,” she says. Women are often expected to be both nurturing and unyielding, gentle yet unbreakable.
This exhibition celebrates that complex relationship by revealing the beauty in resilience, the courage in softness, and the defiance in choosing to remain whole. Teeth and Tenderness is a celebration of women’s strength, a source of empowerment and pride for women from all over the world.
When creating this series, Kim derived inspiration from her own experience as a woman who has lived and seen life through many moons, delicately balancing strength and vulnerability from girlhood to womanhood.
According to the artist, “There’s an unspoken expectation for women to embody both—to be fierce yet gentle, independent yet nurturing. I’ve seen this duality play out in my own life, whether in moments where I had to stand my ground with unwavering resolve or offer softness in the face of hardship. These contradictions aren’t weaknesses; they are the essence of resilience.”
Beyond her work as a painter, Lim is a passionate advocate; she founded the Kapit-Kulay Foundation, a non-profit organization that brings creative expression to marginalized communities. Through workshops in jails, orphanages, and shelters, Kapit-Kulay offers a space for healing and empowerment, helping individuals reclaim their narratives through art.
The transformative power of art has long been considered a beacon of hope for many people, and Lim hopes to be recognized for this. She further explains, “I was able to witness firsthand how art can provide clarity and strength, particularly for women and children who have endured hardship.”
As Women’s Month honors the strength of women everywhere, Lim’s work stands as a testament to the power of creativity to heal, empower, and ignite meaningful change.
Teeth and Tenderness – A Solo Exhibit
March 15, 2025
Tang Contemporary Art Bangkok
Room 201-206, 2nd Floor, River City Bangkok
23 Soi Charoen Krung 24, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100, Thailand
