Qimmy Shimmy Wraps Grotesque in Twisted Pastel Pop Surrealism

Fetus heads wrapped in dumplings, tiny bodies piled up to form an ice cream scoop, and arms squished in a sardine can—these are just some of Qixuan Lim’s grisly curiosities. Introducing her sculptures under her online moniker QIMMY SHIMMY, this Singapore-based artist doesn’t shy away from the ghastly and offensive—she even swaddles it in pastel.

The “creepy-cute” aesthetic has been a trend in pop culture, art, and fashion for quite a while. In Japan, the yamikawaii (sick-cute) phenomenon decked the streets of Tokyo in the childlike appeal of pastels and unicorns juxtaposed with suicidal declarations in the form of blood, gore, and blatant quotes printed on shirts. Many bystanders see this as a manifestation of Japan’s alarming suicide statistics that stay tucked behind the allure of the country’s rich culture. However, Lim describes her interpretation of the creepy-cute aesthetic as a sort of play on tension instead of catharsis.

“I believe that everyone has a ‘dark’ and ‘light’ side, and it is usually the interplay of the two that gives us our personality,” she shares. 

This “interplay” is where her art falls under. Calling herself an “accidental sculptor,” Lim works as an information designer by day. At night—or whenever she has some free time—she creates these pocket-sized grotesques. Taking influence from her favorite pop surrealists Mark Ryden, Nicoletta Ceccoli, and Ray Caesar, her sculptures appear to be dainty and delicate at first glance, but as you look closely, they transform into shocking miniatures you can’t unsee.

On her Instagram page, Qimmy Shimmy has gained an audience of more than a hundred thousand followers and counting. But while many praise the artist, you may come across a few glaring comments from appalled viewers.

“When we look at these little figures, they tend to make you feel protective of them, but you also feel a little repulsed because of the context in which they were placed,” Lim explains. 

Seeing fetuses and their dismembered parts in such a nonchalant art form can be quite disturbing, and if you’re among the crowd who see Lim as an inhumane artist, then this only means the tension she envisions her art to possess is working. “I do appreciate a different perspective, so I am usually very open to all kinds of responses,” she adds.

It all boils down to how you want to digest Qimmy Shimmy’s sculptures. You can see her as a baby-hating sadist with a gruesome fantasy, or you can appreciate these tiny, hyper-realistic works of art. After all, to declare that you don’t understand her works is to admit your denial of the fascination with the disturbing and uncomfortable we all have. “I do believe that everyone has a little oddball inside them,” Lim says. And with her miniature sculptures, she welcomes everyone’s inner oddball—gore and all.

As she prepares for international exhibits in LA, Tokyo, London, and Rome, Qimmy Shimmy makes time for us to discuss her artistic journey, her Halloween costume, and her fascination with the absurd.

Can you recall the first time you considered yourself an artist?

I still ask myself whether I am an artist sometimes. I still introduce myself as a designer to most people because of my day job. I am comfortable with calling myself a sculptor because it refers specifically to the medium I work in, but calling myself an artist is usually a little trickier. I feel that my creative practice needs a bit more maturing before I can call myself one proudly!

What drew you to the “creepy-cute” aesthetic?

Since I started my creative journey, I have followed many pop-surrealist artists like Mark Ryden, Nicoletta Ceccoli, and Ray Caesar. I have always been quite taken by imagery that is both dark and beautiful. As a child, I have never been into stories and characters that were too saccharine and perfect, finding them too one-dimensional and unrealistic. Instead, I was drawn to Tim Burton and Studio Ghibli, where characters were more complex, nuanced, and conflicted. I believe that everyone has a “dark” and “light” side, and it is usually the interplay of the two that gives us our personality.

Many other people are also fascinated with creepy-cute art. Why do you think is it such a phenomenon?

Creepy-cute always had an effect on people that is hard to describe, like how you see something really cute and want to squish it. I think life is filled with dualities and creepy-cuteness is just one of the many ways to express that, which makes it so relatable to many.

Aside from the art you make now, what other strange things make you happy?

I am a hardcore romantic so everything and anything fascinates me on a good day. Also, all the delightfully strange people in my life. I do believe that everyone has a little oddball inside them and those little traits constantly surprise me and add color and richness to my life!

Walk us through your creative vision behind your sculptures. How did you come up with the idea of creating these miniature infants in food and containers?

I like to work with objects that are familiar to people, so there will be a twist and an element of surprise when these objects become something else. When I was working on my first complete series, SweetTooth, I worked with sweets and pastries because they are things that people find desirable, and I thought it would be fun to turn this familiarity and sweetness into something strange and unexpected. I like toying with the duality of desire and repulsion. Food is the one thing that evokes desire because of the image culture propagated by the advertising and the media and has been for centuries made to appeal to all our senses.

How do you create these sculptures? What’s your work routine like?

I am a huge planner! I tend to think about my works as a series and how individual pieces can enhance and enrich each other. Once I have an idea of creating something, I will think and sketch how this idea can be made better. I usually plan for months before going into execution! Because I am a moonlight sculptor, I tend to do it only when I have extra time on my hands. There is almost no work routine because it is so sporadic!

Aside from sculpting, you also do illustrations and work as an information designer. Do these polar practices ever influence each other? How so?

It is a constant juggling act. I think both practices require very different mind spaces and thought processes, so I need to have an internal switch to turn it on and off. As an information experience designer, I work on finding clarity in complexity, and the work processes tap more on the logic-thinking part of my brain. Like most hybrid creatives, I find myself in the situation of being too “free-spirited for a designer and too methodological for an artist”.

Most people enjoy your sculptures, but there are still some who think they’re too disturbing, especially as it involves infants. What can you say about this?

My work has always been about finding the balance between sweetness and horror and these little baby heads help me achieve that. When we look at these little figures, they tend to make you feel protective of them, but you also feel a little repulsed because of the context in which they were placed. Because my work often plays with this tension, it became a common motif in many of my creations.

You’ve done many art shows as well. How do people often react to your sculptures?

Some people love it and find it intriguing and some people really hate it. It is not difficult to find people who dislike what I do because they can be quite discomforting. Either way, I do appreciate a different perspective, so I am usually very open to all kinds of responses.

What did you wear this Halloween?

I am not very expressive in my dressing so I went as myself (some people will say that is scary enough!). I am one of those “designer types” that wear the same outfit throughout the whole year.

Originally published on Status Magazine

Written by Casey Eridio

Photo courtesy of Qixuan Lim