The Art Of Making

These talented Malaysians use their hands to create niche products. We find out how they do it, while visual storyteller, food stylist, and photographer Eunice Lim captures them in their best light.

- Pohnee Chin

We want to say that Lim Pui Wan’s works are larger than life, but they are actually tiny; scaled down to 1/12, to be precise. The little lady (Lim is petite) behind Picoworm on Instagram and Etsy is extremely nimble with her fingers, creating dollhouse and miniatures that are exceedingly lifelike. Lim’s works resonate with us the most because of how familiar it is – from the typical Malaysian food and fruits to the old ways of Chinese living. We sat down with her to talk about her works.

How did you begin your miniature making journey?

It was in 2007 when my sister bought a book about dollhouses and introduced me to it. I read through the book and fell in love. I did more research about it from various blogs and finally made my first clay miniature: a lollipop. Then, in 2011 I joined a local dollhouse competition and won the first place!

Is there a reason why you decided to focus on traditional Chinese objects?

I have always loved “old” things because of the history behind them. One of my weird hobbies is taking pictures of cracked walls, rusted pipes and houses in old neighbourhoods. I use those as inspiration to create my collection. I feel that by creating miniatures of dated things, you can preserve its history and memory. For example, I was once commissioned to do a miniature replica of the customer’s grandfather’s provision shop, which has since closed down. I found it an extremely meaningful gift. It’s not just about showing other people our Asian tradition, it’s also something I do to preserve history. I don’t like creating “new” looking miniatures very much but if someone were to commission me to do modern objects, I certainly won’t say no.

What’s the most challenging thing about making miniatures?