Alisa Lim A Po

Alisa Julia Lim A Po (born 1975) was born to be an artist and studied at the Academy of Visual Arts in Holland and then embarked on a career in advertising, but her true calling drew her back to making sublime semi-figurative pieces, which verge into abstraction.

Ever since childhood I wanted to be an artist, so at my 18th year I went to the Academy of Fine Arts in ’s Hertogenbosch. I quickly felt that this was not the right place at the right time for me. Now – after some wandering in the world of advertising and design – I’m exactly where I should be. Art truly delights, but it is also a task, a mission to make something that has meaning.

I find my inspiration from life. I reflect these experiences on the universal social behavior. My paintings refer to matters such as honesty, solidarity, trust and love. But also the negative aspects of life, such as sadness, loneliness, violence and fear. In my work I try to bring moments of daily life on the canvas where elements are presented on our behavior or complex of emotions. Sometimes subtly, sometimes more dominant.

With the mix of my ideas and reality I create something new. I refer to Stephan Balkenhol when he says: “My work is a combination of a mirror and a projection screen. You recognize yourself in it or you can project your own ideas on it. ”

My work hovers somewhere between figurative and abstract. It may be figurative, but represents no details. I characterize my work as limited realistic. Elements of recognizable reality are realistically shown, in greater or lesser degree.

I use well-known materials such as paper and canvas, but work mainly in metals such as steel, tin, aluminum and copper. Working with these materials give me freedom and inspiration. I love to study the materials and use their features, especially because they also determine my work.