Kim Lim (1936-1997) occupies a singular position in the history of postwar art. Born in Singapore with Chinese roots, Lim moved to London in the 1950s, where she studied at Saint Martin’s School of Art and Slade School of Fine Art. Her life and work were shaped by this layered identity, yet she consistently resisted the categories that might have constrained her. Lim stood apart from prevailing currents of Western modernism, instead developing a visual language that drew on references ranging from the rhythms of nature to premodern art, landscapes, and architecture from Asia and elsewhere. Whether through sculpture or printmaking, she sought to reveal how material form could transcend itself: how stone might evoke water’s flow, how carved surfaces might capture the flicker of light, how abstraction might embody the pulse of life itself.

The exhibition title, “Water Rests, Stone Speaks,” is derived from a Chinese idiom that may be more directly translated as “to rest by water and rinse with stones.” Traditionally associated with the figure of the recluse, the phrase evokes a life of independence, simplicity, and communion with nature. Reinterpreted here, it speaks to both Lim’s unique artistic stance and the sensibility of her works. In her hands, the solid appears to flow; inert stone seems to speak in rhythms of light and shadow, shaped into undulating patterns that recall waves in motion.

The extraordinary seascape and natural light at UCCA Dune provide a setting uniquely attuned to Lim’s practice. Her works resonate with the exhibition space, dissolving the boundaries between material and its surroundings. In this elemental context, Lim’s exploration of rhythm, material, and light is fully realized, allowing viewers to experience her works as living forms in dialogue with the natural world. A highlight of the exhibition is the presentation of six prints from Lim’s late 1980s “Dunhuang Series,” shown together with archival photographs taken by the artist during her travels in China around the same period. The interplay between carved form, spiritual space, and desert expanse that Lim encountered in Dunhuang would have a profound impact on her practice. Together, these prints and photographs chart how her extensive travels became a catalyst for artistic reflection, and speak to how she embedded Asian visual traditions within a broader web of influences.

By situating Lim’s work in conversation with UCCA Dune and its surroundings, as well as the artist’s own encounters with landscapes and traditional art, “Water Rests, Stone Speaks” underscores her status as a singular figure whose practice was at once transnational and deeply personal. Refusing to be circumscribed by prevailing narratives of modernism, Lim articulated a vision of art rooted in rhythm and flow, one that continues to expand how we understand the possibilities of sculpture and abstraction.

“Kim Lim: Water Rests, Stone Speaks” is curated by UCCA Curator Neil Zhang. This exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Estate of Kim Lim (London). Exclusive wall solutions support is provided by Dulux, and Genelec contributed exclusive audio equipment and technical support. UCCA also thanks the members of UCCA Foundation Council, International Circle, and Young Associates, as well as Lead Partner Aranya, Lead Art Book Partner DIOR, Lead Imaging Partner vivo, Presenting Partner Bloomberg, and Supporting Partners AIA, Barco, Dulux, Genelec, SKP Beijing, and Stey.

During the exhibition period, UCCA will also collaborate with LAZYPRINT printmaking studio to host a hands-on printmaking experience, inviting participants to discover how Kim Lim explored spaces with hand-carved plates and printing, and how she expressed the quiet depth of nature and rhythm through simple forms and colors.

Kim Lim (1936-1997) arrived in London aged 17 to study at St. Martin’s School of Fine Art, later studying printmaking and sculpture at the Slade School of Fine Art. Two major exhibitions of her work in 2024 include “Kim Lim: A Space Between. A Retrospective” at the National Gallery Singapore, and “Daiga Grantina. Notes on Kim Lim” at the Kunstmuseum Appenzell, the artist’s first museum show in Europe. Other recent solo and group exhibitions include presentations at The Hepworth Wakefield, Manchester (2023-4); Turner Contemporary, Margate (2024); Whitechapel Gallery, London (2022); Barbican Art Gallery, London (2022); Tate Britain, London (2021); STPI Gallery, Singapore (2018); and Camden Arts Centre, London (1999). Kim Lim was also included in the 2023 editions of the Taipei Biennial and the Gwangju Biennale. Her works are held in significant collections including the National Gallery Singapore; Arts Council Collection, UK; Tate Collection, UK; and M+, Hong Kong.