William Lim: A Year of Lost & Found
林偉而《得失一年》

Jun 18 - Jul 10, 2021
Opening Reception:Jun 18 (Sat), 2-6 pm

Artist sharing: Dec 10 (Fri), 5:00pm

Grotto SKW - 2/f, East 17, No. 17 Main Street East, Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong
11am - 7 pm, Monday - Saturday (Closed on Sundays and public holidays)
Enquiry: info@grottofineart.com / +852 21212270

Sixteen years ago Grotto launched William Lim’s first solo exhibition Aura at our Central gallery.  William’s photographic print on canvases captured the light and nuances of this city, subtly revealing an uncanny artistic vision from an architect’s mind.  At Crossings 2007, once again, William demonstrated his professional prowess in mixing dynamic architectural renderings and vivid hand drawn lines.  Much more emotional in his approach, that body of work perfectly represented his dual self – the poet and the architect, the sentimentalist and rationalist.  Our third collaboration took place in 2011.  Titled 54, as then the artist’s age, William presented the most intimate expressions solely as an artist!  Featuring only nine works, each using disposable object as central theme, the artist took a deep dive into the realm of conceptual representation.  Focusing on the object’s intrinsic rather than extrinsic quality, he successfully told his stories in pure visual languages, without the need or urge to provide logical supplements.

The present exhibition is a heartwarming project.  To paint in oil requires academic training and mentors.  To do it well demands talent.  William’s paintings strike me as something extraordinary, especially knowing that he was trained in a different discipline.  The scale of the paintings is small but it perfectly suits the utmost personal narrative and intimate touch.  From portraits of his family to interiors of his late parents’ home, each painting points straight to the artist’s heart as he confronts grievances and joy.  Collectively they form pages of a diary chronicling a turbulent year with passing of love ones and arrival of new lives.      

This is an extraordinary collaboration.  First, 2021 marks the gallery’s 20th anniversary.  To be able to represent Hong Kong artists exclusively for two decades is truly rewarding.  And William, as artist and collector, has been an integral part of this journey.  Secondly, this year we launched Grotto SKW, a large private space that offers more opportunities for local artists and curators to realize their visions.  At a time when Hong Kong undergoes drastic changes with unprecedented challenges, our commitment remains absolutely grounded here.  A Year of Lost & Found is therefore more than an art exhibition.  It is a sentiment shared by those committed to this city and to making it better.      

Henry Au-yeung

June 16, 2021