Profile
“Lim, like most artists, is his work. Clean, purposeful, yet riddled with feeling. “Function must exist, but people still need to connect with the product in a more emotional way,”he says. With his own furniture and inexpensive wooden handicrafts, Lim proves that he’s a versatile designer, one who’s able to design both for the more affluent consumer like those that patronise Royal Selangor, and for the average, slightly design-concerned, twenty- something couple. Even Lim’s process mirrors life’s trials. “There’s a lot of research at the start. Seeing what’s possible, what the material is like,” he says. “Then I sketch, and I sketch a lot. I make models. I make models to realise size, to see what works and what doesn’t. It’s just a lot of testing.” And it shows.
From his first award winner, The Streamline Chair, which is both indoor and outdoor versatile, curved yet comfortable, to his Hi Ho Rocking Horse, a modern twist on the classic children’s toy, in teak with sheepskin, to his present-day Crystalline collection, it is obvious that Lim’s work cannot exist without fully realising the balancing act that comes with being a designer. It is a balancing act that has probably existed within him since birth, within the marriage of cultures, half-Singaporean, half-Australian, the ever-blurring line of East meets West. “I think that’s the role of the designer—to balance the purely aesthetic with the technical, to try and find a good medium to input all the different aspects of the company, the material, the processing, the end-users’ desires, the price, the everything,” he adds.”
Biography
Jarrod Lim has grown up with a wide diversity of cultural influences. Born to a Singaporean father and an Australian mother, Jarrod grew up in Melbourne, Australia where he also trained in Industrial Design. As with many of the designers originating from that region, there are few pretensions in both his design work and in his global outlook.
Travel and cultural differences have continually influenced Jarrod throughout his developing career. After graduation he moved to Milan, Italy to work with Patricia Urquiola, one of the most sought-after designers in the world. The goal was to learn from the best and soak up the atmosphere of ‘international design.’ Patricia’s studio was the perfect location as it was only small at the time and allowed him to have a hand in a huge variety of projects with only the best companies in Europe. It was an eye-opening experience that introduced Jarrod to a world that previously existed only on the pages of glossy magazines.
After spending a truly enjoyable time working with one of the modern-day masters it was time to move on. Jarrod began working for SCP, one of the UK’s top design and furniture manufacturers. Developing projects from a manufacturing perspective gave him a well-rounded viewpoint of the industry and a solid foundation to launch his own design studio.
Following his time at SCP, Jarrod returned to Melbourne for a quick stint as a design lecturer but he always knew that his true calling was to open his own studio.
It was during this period that Jarrod began exploring opportunities in Singapore. His designs won several competitions and he flew over there regularly. Weeks became months and Jarrod soon found himself spending more of his time in Singapore than Melbourne. It seemed both rational and advantageous to simply migrate and set up shop in a country that was just beginning to find its feet in the world of design.
In 2007 Jarrod moved permanently to Singapore and began working from his small apartment. It proved to be an excellent decision as he continued to build on all his previous European experience, while still allowing himself to be influenced by his new surroundings.
Asia provided a whole host of new opportunities and perspectives on the idea of ‘international design’ as it continued to cement itself as the future of global production. Local manufacturing allowed Jarrod to initiate self-directed projects that have now been licensed to many well-known international clients and it’s also given him the opportunity to explore the potential of mass production for a global audience.
Jarrod now operates his studio from Singapore with an enticing gallery space at the front and his office tucked away at the back. He continues his search for new and interesting projects with clients that are open to fresh thinking and looking for an innovative solution.