Pauline Lim (aka @lim_pauline) is an artist living and working in the Boston area. As a Korean Harvard graduate with a degree in studio art and environmentalism, her driven upbringing influences her aim to engage in activities that are fun and refreshing, while also satisfying her need to be productive. This view emanates in her addition of three-dimensional items to the surface of her emulations of Old Master paintings, resulting in the mosaic techniques that frequent her work.
About herself and her art, she says “I am a fear-driven person. I am always freaking out about the fact that we all have to die, so a lot of my paintings have to do with the frustration of being trapped in a mortal existence. The increasing aches and pains of aging underscore this dilemma to me every day, and make me seek out color and beauty, as well as the relief of laughter alongside the recognition of despair.
“In my work I started off exploring the themes of dreams and illness. Then I was drawn to Medieval and Renaissance images of saints. I also like playing with scale– giant cat heads on human bodies, or tiny humans intermingled with items on a tabletop landscape. Basically, I just create paintings that I would want to see—that recognize the truth and folly of our existence, that are visually stimulating, perhaps gorgeous, frequently funny.”
Learn more about Pauline through her website: paulinelim.net
(Painting shown is “Libera Nos, Salva Nos”, 2020 by Pauline Lim.)