SM City Bacolod Encourages the
Appreciation and Preservation of
Chinese Paintings Through the
Chan Lim Exhibit and Demo

Chinese paintings have a distinct style of their own. At first glance of an artwork, you will really know that the artist is doing it “Chinese-style”. There is a certain fluidity, spontaneity, and confidence in the strokes that guarantee a simple but very beautiful picture.

This month, Bacolod City was in for a treat because the Chan Lim Family of Artists held an exhibit at SM City Bacolod from Sept. 5-20, 2015. They brought 217 of their artworks, which were produced by a total of 34 artists comprised by family members as well as their students, for the appreciation of the public. This was held at the Main Atrium of SM City Bacolod in cooperation with the Sun Yat Sen High School Alumni Association Negros Chapter, and the Dynamic Youth Iloilo Chapter.

The paintings, which were mostly interpreted on lighted Chinese lanterns, lit up this part of the mall and transported the audience to a little village in ancient China where cherry blossoms flourished, which we often only see in story books.

But the event is not just about the exhibition. It was also about the passing on the technique to the younger generation. Yes, the Chan Lim family as well as their students spent one afternoon teaching members of the media, bloggers, as well as students of local schools. Brushes, papers, and paints were provided by SM City Bacolod and the Chan Lim artists taught everyone the basics of doing Chinese paintings. All in all, they taught about 500 people young and old that afternoon on September 5. And the best part is, they do it for free.

About the Chan Lim Family of Artists
For more than 40 years now, the Chan Lim Family of Artists have been creating Western style artworks. Their patriarch, Mr. Chan Lim, specializes in oil and watercolor paintings. His children, Alex, Felix, Rolex, and Jolex, are all engineers who are highly successful in their chosen careers, but have carried on with the art. They make use of their weekends and their spare time to create their masterpieces.

Mr. Alex Chan Lim said that painting is their passion but they don’t want to use it as a source of livelihood because if one is not able to sell, then he or she will get discouraged. That is why they keep regular jobs and businesses while painting with passion.

The Chan Lim family is one of the few remaining artists in the Philippines today who specialize in Chinese brush painting. To keep the art alive, they conduct art classes at their family studio located in Pasig City. Theirs paintings have brought color and attitude to private collections in the country and abroad. They have staged a total of 13 family painting art exhibits to date.

Sigrid Says on Chinese art
While my family and live a modern lifestyle, I am one for the preservation of arts and culture. Born into a family where my mother has Chinese ancestry and now married into a Chinese family, I am quite attracted to Chinese arts. When I went to Hong Kong, I did not marvel at the tourist attractions as much as I enjoyed absorbing the sights and sounds of the city streets. Needless to say, I love their kind of visual arts. However, as modern as our lives have become, this way of expressing one’s self can easily get lost over time. So thankful that there are people like the Chan Lim family who are passionate about preserving Western arts and passing it on to the next generation. And kudos to the SM Malls for partnering in this endeavor as well as to SM City Bacolod for bringing them here. More of these events in the future, please. Thank you!