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About the artwork
Despite his admiration for these stately creatures, Ah Cheng confesses he is no avid horseman. But a sense of inspiration overcomes him every time he looks at them. Also, being an expressionist painter who primarily uses brush- strokes to express himself, horses seem to fit the bill with their fluid movement and winsome aura. He shares, “Horses appeal to me because of their strength and beauty, their speed and movement. They have been a longstanding subject in Chinese painting, and I’ve had many years of traditional Chinese ink training, whereby brushstrokes can express galloping horses and a lot of movement.” As to why he favours oil paint to other mediums, he explains, “The texture of oil paint is brilliant: it can show off the layers of colours and richness of texture. Depth and perspective can be reached easily when I master it. It also can be laid on top of water-based paint mediums to create a combination of mixed media harmoniously.”
About the artist
Lim Ah Cheng's oeuvre of paintings of wild horses, dancers and musicians draw much parallel to the works of Chinese ink masters like Xu Beihong. He employs a highly 'fluid' style that is reminiscent of Chinese ink painting, but uses it with western media such as oils and acrylics. This merger of East and West techniques, coupled with Fauvist and Futurist influences found within the use of vibrant colours and emphasis on capturing speed and movement, give his work a sense of universal appeal.
Loose and expressive brushwork is aptly used to capture the speed and gracefulness of the horse's movement. This is complemented with the colors that he employs, of deep blacks contrasted against hues of yellow and brown.
His "Metamorphosis" series carries this subject matter one step further, using horses as a platform to offering an introspective exploration of his personal childhood memories.