It’s not that hard to see artist Kelly Lim reflected in her own crochet artworks, done in that very niche genre known as kimo kawaii (Japanese for cute and freaky – think Tim Burton – yes, it’s a thing). She’s got a flock of braided hair that’s not unlike the thread she works with, medium she liked after tagging along with her mum to a crochet workshop.
Since then, she’s been creating cute and freaky art pieces (including monsters), and has had her works exhibited alongside those of other artists in Singapore and Japan.
Photo: Instagram/@kllylmrck
Her first notable piece, though, was a crochet hat she made and wore to the office when she was working in a Japanese company. “My boss’s wife worked for a Japanese fashion magazine. She thought the hat looked like an anime character and told me about this kimo kawaii style that was quite popular in Japan. Then I did more research: It felt very in line with my style, so I started using it to describe my work to people,” the 28-year-old artist explains.
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Kelly says that she doesn’t consider herself as a fine artist or even a crochet expert (we reckon she’s too modest), even though she has collaborated with renowned brands like New Balance and H&M. Her distinctive style – bright colours and boho chic – has already won her a legion of fans on social media who conflate her image with her art. She’s inspired by Japanese artist Hokusai Katsushika’s work ethic, and feels that an artist always has to be learning.
Photo: Instagram/@kllylmrck
Kelly adds that unlike other artists who already know what they want to do with the paintbrushes in their hands, she draws inspiration during her crocheting. “I don’t always know how I want the end product to look, and I am inspired by what happens during the process,” she says.
Right now, she hopes to make the transition to fine art and wishes to create more than kawaii monsters. To Kelly, great artwork has to be transient; it has to change with time and cannot remain in the same state it first came in.
“My dream is to make something biodegradable. Like a huge sculpture that will disappear into the ground and not harm the environment over time,” she says.
That could be kimo kawaii in its own way.
This story was first published in the May 2018 issue of Her World.
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