The art of survival

Jan 29, 2006
The art of survival

Disabled brothers Shalom and Isaac Lim are more than just talented artists. They are fighters and survivors, too

By Wong Kim Hoh

A LIFE LESS ORDINARY

IT IS a cosy home. Bright sunny porch, a nice verdant garden at the back. Inside the terrace house off Upper Changi Road, whimsical Chinese brush paintings of ladybirds and furry chicks with titles such as Kindred Spirit and Eating Together dot the walls.They jostle for attention alongside abstract pieces in brilliant hues.

The artists are Isaac and Shalom Lim who, between them, have won several art competitions and sold about 25 paintings. One of these - a 40 x 50cm abstract painting bursting with vivid colours - hangs on the walls of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's office.

The brothers - aged 14 and 10 - are more than just talented painters. They are fighters and overcomers.

Both have Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a hereditary disease which afflicts an estimated 1 in 3,500 boys worldwide. It is characterised by rapidly progressive muscle weakness which starts in the legs and pelvis and later affects the whole body.

Both are wheelchair-bound: Isaac since he was 11, and Shalom since he was seven.

Isaac, who is also autistic, is now a student at the Spastic Children Association School, while his younger brother is a Primary 5 maths ace (he had a perfect score in the subject last year) at Changkat Primary.

Their parents are Dr Joshua Lim, a general practitioner, and Grace, a housewife who used to teach English Language at the National University of Singapore.

The couple have a 16-year-old daughter, Jane, who is now in Victoria Junior College.

Despite their disabilities, the two brothers possess sunny dispositions and an affecting amiability.

Isaac, says his mother, is a serene and good-natured teenager. He sits quietly, often wearing a dreamy look and, at times, a shy smile.

Shalom, on the other hand, is cheerful and chatty. Last year, he lobbied - with his mother - to have a ramp built in his school so that he can access the school hall on the second level.

To help raise funds for the ramp - which cost $13,000 - he sold three of his paintings, each for $1,000, to budget airline Valuair.

'They have given us so much love, they are our inspiration. They accept their condition and it seems as though their whole purpose in life is to make us laugh and make us happy,' says Mrs Lim, in her 40s, looking very fondly at Shalom.

She hasn't always been this accepting of her sons' condition.

'It took us a long time before we could talk about it,' she says.

'To say that we went through a very difficult time is putting it very mildly. I can't even begin to tell you how hard it has been, it's something you carry in your heart all the time.'

She says she and her husband draw strength from God, but adds laughingly: 'Sigh, it's harder when you're Christians because you think God would have been kinder. But I guess we all go through a lot in life.'

The couple suspected something was amiss with Isaac only when he started walking at 23 months.

The devastating news that he had muscular dystrophy was compounded when they discovered he was autistic when he was about six.

'He was beautiful-looking, a very normal although very quiet baby. He was, and still is, very good-natured and obedient. He doesn't throw tantrums. But we noticed that he wasn't talking, and that he avoided eye contact, which is a sign of autism.'

Local experts were hesitant to diagnose him as autistic because he seemed so normal, so the couple took him to Perth.

'We needed to know so that we can know what course of action to take,' says Mrs Lim.

There, Isaac was subjected to very vigorous tests over two days. He was diagnosed as a high-functioning autistic.

Thanks to vigorous therapy and schooling - in kindergarten and at home - Isaac learnt his ABCs.

Mrs Lim says: 'He can spell and write words and is good in maths. He can even play the piano. He has won medals in swimming competitions.'

Although he cannot engage in a full conversation, he knows how to ask for things, including music.

'He loves Mozart and Gregorian chants. He once sang a song for me on the piano, and after he did it, he cried,' she says.

Not surprisingly, the couple were cautious about having another child. They decided to have Shalom after being assured by experts - who put them through stringent tests - that the baby would be normal.

Alas, it was not to be. Shalom's muscles started wasting away; he had to get used to life on a motorised wheelchair before he turned eight.

The Lims discovered their children's gift for painting when they engaged an art teacher for Isaac in April 2002.

Under the tutelage of Mr Ng Geok Seng, his progress was remarkable. In August that same year, his entry to an art competition with The Disabled People's Association emerged one of the 10 winners.

He has since won a string of prizes. In September last year, he clinched first prize in the youth category of the VSA (Very Special Arts) Art Competition for Children and Youths with Special Needs.

The work, entitled Seed Of Peace, now hangs in the Prime Minister's office, thanks to a request by Mr Lee's wife, Ms Ho Ching.

Mr Ng, 38, who specialises in teaching art to children with special needs, says: 'What is really inspiring about Isaac is his perseverance. He doesn't give up easily, he doesn't throw tantrums, he always has a smile and he really enjoys the process of creating.'

In fact, he enjoys the process so much he can sometimes complete five paintings in a day. His pieces are characterised by his startling use of bold, striking colours and radical rendering of figures and animals.

Shalom badgered his parents for art classes after he saw the fun his brother was having. He has found his niche in Chinese brush painting.

His trademark is the ladybird, although his paintings of little chicks and praying mantises are imbued with a gorgeous sense of whimsy.

Like his brother, he has won many prizes. In fact, he has sold nearly 20 pieces of his work, fetching between $250 and $1,000 for each.

Mr Ng says: 'He's very inspired by Isaac. He made errors in the beginning but he's a perfectionist. I gave him the confidence to experiment and refine, and now he does it easily. He is very easy to teach.'

A huge football fan whose favourite team is Chelsea, Shalom says that he keeps all the money he makes in a piggy bank.

'Sometimes I wish I could do two paintings so that I could keep one and sell the other. But if I did that, that would make my progress slower,' he says with a big sigh.

The two brothers are close.

'Shalom talks to his brother, and they do things like go riding and swimming together. Isaac, in turn, sometimes calls his brother Baby.'

While realising that their time is limited, the family dwell on the positive and relish the joy the two boys bring to their lives.

Pensively, Mrs Lim says: 'I'm dreaming of an exhibition, especially for Isaac. He is so quiet and such a lovely guy. But because he's difficult to connect with, I agonise that he may be forgotten.'

Eyes reddening, she adds: 'They both have so much to give.'

Shalom's Biography

Shalom Lim loves life! Diagnosed with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, this highly-motivated P5 pupil at Changkat Primary School, sings, swims, paints, plays the piano, goes horseriding and is especially adept at Maths and all kinds of computer games. He is also a keen soccer fan as well as a little poet-in-the-making!

In March 2002 when he was only in Primary One, he presented a poem at the Inaugural Muscular Dystrophy Association of Singapore Charity Dinner, entitled “Reaching Out” which he co-wrote with his mother and which, the Guest of Honour, Dr S. Balaji highly commended. The next year in July 2003, Shalom was the 50m Freestyle gold medallist at the National Swimming Championships organised by the Singapore Disability Sports Council.

Shalom’s interest in art was discovered rather incidentally. It was in April 2002 that a professional art teacher, Mr. Ng Geok Seng of B Inspire had been engaged to tutor Shalom’s older brother, Isaac who has high-functioning autism. Shalom has just started school then and his parents did not wish to burden him unnecessarily with extra art classes. But when Shalom saw how much his older brother was enjoying his sessions with the art teacher, he insisted that he should also be given an opportunity to learn. His parents eventually gave in and Shalom attended his first private art lesson with Mr. Ng four months later in August 2002.

Since then, Shalom has made great strides and his paintings have won in competitions, been printed into cards and many of his works are collected by artlovers both in Singapore and abroad.

In April 2004, Shalom’s “Gifts from the Heart” was one of 10 winning entries in an art competition organized by the Disabled Peoples’ Association (DPA). In July 2004, he was awarded the merit prize by VSA Singapore for “Spring is Coming”. Two of his paintings were also selected by VSA for their greeting card project with the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD) and for which he was paid royalties.

In January 2005, Shalom took his artworks to Valuair and helped to raise $3000 for the building of a ramp at Changkat Primary School through the sale of his paintings. This story was carried by The New Paper (TNP) on 26 April 2005. In August 2005, he received the Young Talent award for Art from Teach Me Services, under the Asian Womens’ Welfare Association (AWWA).

On 29 January 2006, the Sunday Times carried a full-page feature on Shalom and his older brother, Isaac. The article highlighted their artistic talent and generated much interest and support from the public for their art. Currently, Shalom has just submitted a painting commissioned by Teach Me Services as a

gift for President Nathan who will be officiating at the opening of the AWWA Access Building on 18 July 2006. Shalom has also been appointed to present this painting to our President. What an honour!

Click here to see more of Shalom's Art

Isaac's Biography

Isaac Lim is a handsome and charming young artist who turned 15 in August this year. Although he suffers from both muscular dystrophy and autism, he does not bow to his circumstances. He is a fulfilled person and a champion!

Isaac has always shown a keen interest in art. Even as a pre-schooler, drawing, colouring and painting activities would keep him absorbed for hours. He also has a predilection for strong and vibrant colours. Isaac was 10 years old when he was first introduced to the world of art through the Very Special Arts’ (VSA) Barrier-Free Art Programme in December 2001. Formal art lessons began the next year in 2002 with Mr. Ng Geok Seng from B Inspire, a pioneer team of artists accredited by the National Arts Council and the Ministry of Education working with VSA Singapore, and who are dedicated to cultivate and to promote the artistic ability of children with special needs.

It has been 4 years since Isaac first started lessons in April 2002. His progress has been remarkable.

In August 2002, Isaac’s entry for an art competition, with the Disabled Peoples’ Association (DPA), entitled “Atypical Christmas Tree” was one of 10 top winners.

The following year in 2003, he was awarded the merit prize for “Senses” at the inaugural art competition organized by VSA Singapore.

In January 2004, Isaac won First Prize at the Balestier Special School art competition with a composition entitled “Applause”. This was later selected by Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore to be made into a giftcard to help in the school’s fundraising effort.

In April 2004, Isaac’s “Tapestry of Joy” won him a $200 cash prize at the DPA art competition.

In September 2005, he clinched the First Prize in the Youth category of the 3rd VSA Art Competition for Children and Youths with Special Needs. The theme was based on a poem entitled “The Seedling” by Laurence Dunbar. Isaac’s winning artpiece was entitled “Seed of Peace”. This artwork is currently on loan to the Prime Minister’s Office upon the request of Mdm Ho Ching, the Prime Minister’s wife.

In October 2005, Credit Suisse paid Isaac an honorarium for the use of the artwork “Bloom” in their corporate planner which he later donated to Very Special Arts Singapore as a token of his support for the organization.

On 29 January 2006, Isaac was featured together with his younger brother in the Sunday Times (ST. 29.1.06 /A Life Less Ordinary :The Art of Survival) for their artistic ability. This article caught the attention of ThreeSixZero Production House who wanted Isaac on a documentary entitled, ‘My Special Journey’ for the hope he would hold out to others through his artistic achievements. That episode was telecast on 31 May 2006 over Channel ‘U’.

In October 2006, VSA Singapore wrote requesting for permission to use an image of Isaac’s artwork, “Seed Of Peace” in Very Special Cards 2006, a fundraising event for the organisation for which the artist was paid a royalty.

Click here to see more of Isaac's Art.