Artist Spotlight
Charlie Lim
Charlie Lim is a multi-talented artist with a visionary approach to photography and fine arts. Professionally trained in Advertising Arts and Commercial Photography at Baharuddin Vocational Institute (now Temasek Polytechnic), he has spent years refining his craft and pioneering new artistic expressions.
Through extensive research and experimentation, Charlie developed “PaintoGraphy”—a unique fusion of photography and oil painting that transforms portraiture into timeless works of art. Inspired by the dramatic Baroque play of light and shadow, his technique allows him to "paint" his subjects in darkness using a controlled light source, creating portraits reminiscent of Rembrandt’s masterpieces. This process is achieved entirely without filters, software, gimmicks, or AI.
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9th Rotary Club Artisan Award (2023)
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ATIM Activist Award / Artivist Award of the Year (Arttour International, New York, Dec 2019)
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SG53 B.O.L.D Artist (Featured in the annual book by the SG100 Foundation, 2019)
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Honor of Distinction – Excellence Award (Asia WPA, Hong Kong, 2017)
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Singapore Design Golden Jubilee Award (2015)
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International Masters of Photography Selection (Vol. II): Selected for a juried, invite-only annual by World Wide Art Books, showcasing 100 notable photographers globally.
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International Color Awards: Received 15 Nominee Awards across the 5th–18th editions in the Portraits, Nude, and Fashion categories.
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Television & Digital Features
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MediaCorp Channel 8 ‘Hello Singapore’ (Feb 2024) – Featured for Seed Carving Collections.
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YouTube Channel ‘Kopi with Craig’ (Jan 2025) & ArijitOfficial Journey - EP10 (India, 2022) – Featured interviews.
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CNA TV Series ‘Midnight Story Singapore’ (Apr 2021) – Paintography feature produced by award-winning Beach House Pictures.
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Channel NewsAsia – Featured Live on 19 Dec 2017 & 27 Apr 2019.
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International Broadcasts: TV Taiwan (Sept 2016), TV Vietnam (Featured on four occasions, 2014–2015), Channel U Singapore (May 2012), and TV Manila (Feb 2012).
International Speaking Events-
PhotoWorld Asia Photo Congress (Philippines, Jan 2017) – Three-time invited speaker.
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WPPM (Malaysia) – Three-time invited speaker.
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2026
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Guinness World Record Challenge (Upcoming): Will anchor the “60Pax-in-60Mins“ event on 6 June 2026 at the Chui Huay Lim Club, attempting to paint 60 people in 60 minutes.
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National Library Board Tours: Paintography Talk and Display of 60 Portraits of the Nation at Choa Chu Kang National Library (Jan 2026) and Woodlands National Library (Apr 2026).
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“Play to Connect” Networking Event: Painted all participants at the networking event hosted by Sessaline Lee (Jan 2026).
2025
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SGCulturePass Approval: Approved for Singaporeans to visit the ClipMuseum starting Dec 2025 to experience Art, Culture, and Paintography.
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Solo Exhibition: Launched A PaintoGraphy Exhibition of 60 Portraits at the Chui Huay Lim Club Heritage Hall (Oct 2025).
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Public Library Activations: Performed public live demonstrations at Seng Kang National Library (Nov 2025) and a showcase/talk at the National Library Board HQ (Aug 2025).
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Community & Charity Galas: * Performed live on-stage for former President Mdm Halimah Yacob and Chinese Ambassador Mr. Cao ZhongMing at the SG100 “Lest We Forget” Dinner.
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Featured at the DOT’s Mother’s Day Charity Gala Dinner and the LCCS Charity Gala Dinner (painting 36 seniors from the Lions Home for the Elders).
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Displayed works at the Jalan Besar Active Ageing Centre in partnership with the Dementia Foundation Co.
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Corporate & Digital Media: Interviewed by the Canon Marketing Team for a dedicated TikTok feature (Oct 2025). Led a live masterclass for corporate leaders at the SMU International Series in Bangkok, Thailand.
2024
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Canberra Carnival: Public demonstration and VIP painting session featuring MP Dr. Lim Wee Kiak.
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S2iG SG 2024: Commissioned to paint UAE Royalty, Dr. Mohammad Al Mazrouei.
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QIXI Festival: Conducted an 8-day public live demonstration marathon at Kreta Ayer Square.
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BNI Titans: Speed-painted 13 corporate members in 20 minutes at the American Club.
2023
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International Summits: Built a dedicated darkroom booth for live demonstrations at the India-ASEAN Startup Summit (Kuala Lumpur) and presented at the Vietnam-Singapore Business Mission (Ho Chi Minh City).
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Mass Portraiture Commissions: Painted 100+ people in 3 hours at the Maybank Hawker Culture Event, and successfully painted 420 Manulife Achievers over a two-month cycle.
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World Photographic Cup: Represented Singapore in the global competition with one of his signature wedding photographs.
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Manhattan Masters Group Exhibition (Jul 2022): Invited to showcase his work at "CONTINUITY: Modern & Contemporary Masters" in New York City, exhibiting alongside legendary masters Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Joan Miró.
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Apple Singapore Flagship Event (Aug 2020): Conducted a 2-hour live key demonstration at the Orchard Road Flagship Store.
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Global Invitations: Received official invitations to exhibit from NY-ArtNews.com (2022) and the Tokyo International Art Fair (Japan, 2020).
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GREY BERLIN
Paintography - Golden Bowl
This artwork features five gold bowls, with four emptied and only one still containing food. The
composition symbolises abundance and the hope that the owner will always have food to eat.
The food itself was intentionally left unpainted to remind viewers that the artwork is created through 100% photography rather than digital manipulation.
The image was photographed in darkness using only a single torchlight as the light source. Through this work, I sought to create a fusion between photography and oil painting.
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Paintography - Orange
This artwork, titled “Ang Pow” , was created about 20 years ago during the eve of Chinese New Year.
The only elements left unpainted with oil paint were the Ang Pow packets and the three oranges placed in the background. During Chinese New Year, oranges symbolise wealth and prosperity, while Ang Pow packet represent blessings and good luck.
The entire image was created in the dark using only a single torchlight as the light source. This artwork is therefore 100% photography, created entirely through the camera without any digital manipulation.
Through this work, I continued my exploration of merging photography with the visual richness of oil painting.
STILL LIFE
Stairway to heaven, 2023, Oil on Canvas, 49 in. x 34 in.
Exhibited Maja Graystone Gallery
STUDIO VIEW #3
Stairway to heaven, 2023, Oil on Canvas, 49 in. x 34 in.
Exhibited Maja Graystone Gallery
OBJECTS, SAN DIEGO
Stairway to heaven, 2023, Oil on Canvas, 49 in. x 34 in.
Exhibited Maja Graystone Gallery
WORKS
SOLO EXHIBITION, BROOKLYN
Zoom in, 2023, Oil on Canvas, 49 in. x 34 in. Exhibited Maja Graystone Gallery
Our Featured Artists
Let's celebrate the awesome diversity and creativity of our local artists and photographers. Bringing together a cool mix of different generations and styles, our creators beautifully blend traditional heritage with modern twists to show off what our local art community is all about.
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