QimmyShimmy - Disturbing yet pleasing

Astonishing miniature sculptures

Tell us a bit about you, the person behind the work we see, where are you based and how old are you?

I am a 28-year-old artist born and bred in the Singapore city-state. I call myself an ‘accidental sculptor’ because it was not something I intended to do when I started my creative journey, but I am so happy I found it! I was formally trained in graphic design and am working full-time as a UX designer, so I am a “moonlighting” artist, as the romantics call it.

Can you tell us about when and why you started your page?

I actually started an instagram page to separate my art from my personal life. I used to upload my works on Facebook, but some friends told me it was frightening to see my works pop up on their feed. I know my work is not to everyone’s taste, so I thought the best way is to put it on another platform. I did not expect it to gain a  following of its own!.

Describe your work in three words.

Creepy, Cute, Surrealistic.

What does your art (or content) focus on?

I always strive to find the balance between sweetness and horror with the works I create. 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.   

Besides your computer/phone, what is the one thing you cannot work without? 

I can actually work without my computer/phone! I think I will definitely need my sculpting tools and clay, but other than these, a good Spotify playlist or podcast helps too!

Has Instagram influenced your work?

I do appreciate Instagram very much as a platform, but I try not to let it influence my practice that much. Instagram has helped my art reach an international audience, and also connected me to lots of like-minded creatives, which I am very thankful for. But when I create, I want to do it for myself. I think it will be very dangerous to create works solely to please others.

Your work gets a lot of attention on social media, how does getting online recognition change the way you perceive and produce your art?

Online recognition swings both ways. I have people who love my art, and people who really hate it. I get an angry mob every now and then! Of course this is not exactly a bad thing and I will not give it up for anything, If you have heard this wonderful quote by Cesar A. Cruz, “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable”. I think the very fact that my art reaches and connects to some, yet discomforts many more, tells me that I am doing something right.

Name three Instagram accounts you follow religiously.

@sfxatlas (to get inspired), @markryden (my biggest artist hero of all time), @pinklemonade (for eye candy). And I follow heaaaaps of puppy accounts too.

Your five all-time favorite movies?

The Before trilogy, Midnight in Paris, Spirited Away, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Coraline.

Your all-time five favorite music tracks?

I listen mostly to film music when I work. I am currently hooked to the Parasite film soundtrack by Jung Jae Il! A big-time favorite is Joe Hisaishi and Hans Zimmer. And I also love the soundtrack from Coraline and The Little Prince.

 Who is your dream collaboration?

So many! I will LOVE to do a huge walk-through set one day. Like a haunted house or a candy-theme butcher shop! 

Anything you would like to say to our Plastik audience?

I would like to share one of my favorite quotes by Elizabeth Gilbert, “Don’t ever be ashamed of loving the strange things that make you weird little heart happy”. We are not able to please everyone with the things we do or love, but let’s do it anyway. 

interviewed by philippe ghabayen