Bringing together people and collaborations is Lim’s forte. Aside from passion, he has the ability to drive the overall big picture while “empowering the strengths of each team member in order to complete the game” – a streak his high school basketball coach saw in him. His father, “a very persistent and hardworking person” inspired his tenacity.
Lim majored in Computer Science and Economics in the University of Wisconsin, Madison in the US but highlighted travel as an indispensable teacher. “I’m a believer that we need to open our eyes to be a global citizen,” he stated. From his economics teacher, he realised the importance and power of an open economy that “allow certain cultures and countries to specialise in developing unique skills for a country perform better” – something he felt was lacking in some parts of the world, including Indonesia.
“I feel that weaving is able to fill some of these gaps with regard to social impact, cultural research, material innovation, creating a future identity, passive cooling, computational design, enlivening large-scale government infrastructure such as airports and public markets, retaining architecture tradition, prefabrication applications, enhancing education institutions regarding structural craftsmanship, exhibitions, and so on,” Lim enumerated.
But it will not be easy. Lim bemoans the authorities turning a blind eye to the declining quality of craftsmanship as villages start to lose their relevance. “These villagers can’t compete with Muji, Ikea, and other cheap products from the modern marketplace. There is also little empowerment, such as training or financing facilities,” observed Lim.
