"I have been learning Chinese painting since I was young, and I have also received the basic art education of Chinese art students. When I first started to "play" graffiti, the biggest stimulation for me was that I went from a child learning traditional painting to someone who could freely create with spray paint, make sounds on the street, and the works could be seen directly by people"
Zelam Lim, an urban artist, began his artistic journey in 2003.
Starting from the streets of urban areas, his creative exploration expanded into public spaces, eventually achieving global recognition. His work is characterized by breaking conventions, blending Eastern and Western cultures, and exploring the boundaries between tradition and modernity, leading to the development of a unique worldview.
Zelam Lim, born in 1983 in Chaozhou, Guangdong Province, is a Chinese urban artist based in Shanghai. Trained from a young age in traditional Chinese painting, he discovered graffiti in 2003, marking a turning point in his artistic career. Since then, he has developed a multidisciplinary practice that combines painting, installations, and public art, exploring the boundaries between tradition and modernity.
His work is characterized by a fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics, incorporating elements of traditional Chinese culture into works with a contemporary look. He draws inspiration from Eastern philosophies such as Taoism, Zen Buddhism, and the concept of emptiness to create introspective pieces that explore nature, modern consciousness, and personal perception.
His monumental works, such as The Peach Land in Wenzhou and Awaken in Shanghai, depict themes from ancient Chinese tales portraying a utopian world of peace and equality. He continuously reinterprets traditional cultural symbols within a contemporary urban context.
Zelam Lim doesn't just paint on walls, he paints between worlds—where tradition dialogues with the present, and where each stroke seeks to awaken consciousness.