Shu Yi Lim

Sydney College of the Arts
Graduation Exhibition 2024

29 November – 7 December
Old Teachers College,
Sydney College of the Arts
Opening Reception
28 November, 6–9pm

This catalogue accompanies a physical exhibition of the same name held across the SCA Gallery and adjoining spaces at the Old Teachers’ College, The University of Sydney from 29 November – 7 December 2024. 

SCA New Contemporaries invites you to explore the work of more than 100 students across our 2024 graduating cohort. Spanning disciplines including Screen Arts, Photography, Painting, Printmedia, Sculpture, Ceramics, Glass, Jewellery and Object, the works within both the online and in-person presentations represent the capstone of degrees including the Bachelor of Visual Arts, Bachelor of Visual Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies, Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours), Master of Film and Screen Arts and research Master of Fine Arts and Doctor of Philosophy.

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We acknowledge the tradition of custodianship and law of the Country on which the University of Sydney campuses stand. We pay our respects to those who have cared and continue to care for Country.

Students

Films

We acknowledge the tradition of custodianship and law of the Country on which the University of Sydney campuses stand. We pay our respects to those who have cared and continue to care for Country.

Bachelor of Visual Arts
Painting

Lim Shu Yi
林舒怡
b.2001, Penang, Malaysia

Let's Sit Down and Talk, 2024
wax and gouache painting on bemsilk

Let's Sit Down and Talk consists of eight object paintings arranged to recreate the scene of a living room, focusing on the essence of Shu Yi's Malaysian childhood home. This installation explores how memories persist and shape our identities, even as physical spaces and relationships evolve over time. By revisiting the idea of "home", the work highlights the enduring impact of past experiences, inviting viewers to reflect on their own memories and sense of self.

The choice of recreating a living room-a communal space where a family gather together -serves as a metaphor for intimacy, connection, and shared history. The transparency of the bemsilk fabric conveys the fragility and fading quality of memory, while the batik-inspired gouache painting technique references the artist's Malaysian heritage. Together, these elements capture a sense of nostalgia and cultural identity, linking personal and collective histories.

This work seeks to evoke both personal reflection and universal themes of impermanence, reminding viewers that while places and people may change, the memories they leave behind remain within us. By intertwining cultural symbolism with personal narrative, the installation resonates across boundaries, connecting the fleeting nature of life to the deeply rooted impressions that shape who we are.

Shu Yi Lim, New Contemporaries, 2024, installation Photo: Document Photography
Let's Sit Down and Talk, 2024, Wax and Gouache Painting on Bemsilk
Let's Sit Down and Talk, 2024, Wax and gouache painting on bemsilk

Shu Yi Lim is a Malaysian-based artist whose practice explores themes of memory, identity and change. Growing up surrounded by a blend of cultures, she captures the essence of nostalgic and intimate spaces through ceramics, paintings and installations. As a graduate of Sydney College of the Arts, Shu Yi continues to reflect on the connections between place, memory and belonging, drawing inspiration from both her Malaysian heritage and her experiences in Sydney.