Miniature Art
Meet the Master
Miniature art is available in many forms. It may have inspired the author of Gulliver's Travel, it is the world of the Lilliputians, it is how the insects view the world. It could be a tiny painting the size of a postage stamp, small sculptures and dolls, and also everyday objects that are made into trinkets and jewelry. Scale models of heritage buildings are also miniature art pieces. I have the privilege to get to know Freddie Lim. He is the master in this art. Trained as an architectural engineer, he is now the Artistic Director of a company that builds scale models for architects and also housing developers. Beside being good at building these small houses and models, he also sketches heritage buildings and like many artists, has a good eye for composing great pictures in photography.  
Photos taken by Freddie Lim during the celebration of Penang Heritage.
What made this man unique is he also happened to grow up in one of the heritage houses in Penang. Growing up in such an environment also helped in developing the love for heritage buildings. The house is a residential bungalow which is now owned by KEKWA. The family sold the house for a tidy sum. It is a typical Anglo-Indian home with 19th century facade. Freddie Lim also studied interior design in England. His sense of style is very prominent in the way the inside of his models are arranged. Tiny furniture, potted plants and exterior landscape blend beautifully. Those who commissioned these miniature art pieces from Freddie Lim did not only obtained models as per their specification. They also become owners of unique pieces of art. His clients consist mainly of corporations that deal with real estate development as well as organizations that need scale models to grace their lobbies or exhibitions. It would be interesting to know the Penang Heritage Center commissioned Freddie Lim to build a 3D map of the Heritage Enclave. Together with a scale model of a Chinese shop house, these two items are on permanent display at the center. There are also other artists in Penang who can build scale models, but I was told repeatedly by Freddie Lim's clients that no one can surpass the quality of his work. He also has trained many younger scale model builders over the years. Still, none of his students can match his work. The materials used by this master of miniature are mere cardboard, plastic, glue and also plaster of Paris. The results, nevertheless, always astound you. He has steady hands that can fold and cut the cardboard perfectly. Coupled with good sense of color and also judgment of proportion, it is a hard act to follow. In order to know more about this art, you are welcome to contact the man himself. Freddie Lim is a very busy man with a lot of commissions lining up, however, he will find time to answer your query. Fill up the form below to contact him. Back to the top of Miniature Art Back to the page of Penang Heritage Center Back to the homepage of Penang Heritage City
|
