Daily Inspiration: Meet Tommii Lim

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tommii Lim.

Hi Tommii, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Born in Seoul, Korea, moved to LA when I was 2, started my art journey drawing as a little kid to painting on the streets and then getting in the gallery world. 10 years ago, I left that world and focused all my energy on creating large scale murals / immersive installations and it has blossomed into traveling the world, painting in over 20 countries and living life exploring the human condition through meeting people from all walks of life around the globe. In between I have been blessed to collaborate with global entities like Nike, Kobe Bryant, Under Armour, Steph Curry, Team USA Basketball, Paris Saint-Germain, Adidas, Red Bull, Google, Honda, Lexus, Toyota and Waymo.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a painter is as smooth as sandpaper, It’s not easy. It requires all of your time, dedication, obsession, repetition, hard work honing your craft ,drive, vision, your own perspective, natural God given talent, creativity, business acumen, networking, a good personality, confidence, money management skills and a little bit of street smarts. This is the bare minimum. There are millions of people out there as ambitious as you. A little bit of luck and timing are also needed to excel in this game. My struggles throughout the years were money, health and gluttony. The roller coaster of financial demands from not knowing where your next paycheck is coming from to trying to be on top of your game and balancing business with social media is a difficult road. With all that being said, when things are rolling, it is the highest of highs. My career has taken me all over the world and blessed me with once in a lifetime life changing beautiful adventures. Hard work, drive, mental toughness, meditation, praying, family and friends helped me get through it all. On top of all that, painting murals is a very physically demanding field. It’s not until I got my health journey going, did I truly unlock my potential. With the help of my trainer Fast Lean Fit in LA, he helped me realize the mind body soul balance needed to progress in my field and in life. I now treat painting murals as half art, half sport, where I train physically and mentally for each project like that of a mixed martial artist getting ready for a fight. The amazing side of effect of that was releasing me from addictions like food, alcohol and drugs.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a mural / installation artist. 4 years ago, I sold most of my belongings in LA and I embarked on my International Mural Tour where I travelled and lived as a nomad, visiting 20 countries painting murals and creating installations. I specialize in large scale murals often dedicated to the area I travel to. I get invited to countries to paint and I immerse my whole life in the local neighborhoods and people that I encounter. I then paint about what I experience and my works serve as an ambiguous diary to my excursions where I leave room for the audience to interpret my work in whatever way they feel. I am previously known for my minimalist large scale black and white art work (I am now using color when I see fit) and doing collaborations with people like Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, USA basketball olympic team and partnering with brands like Nike, Under Armour, Google, Toyota and Waymo. I am most proud of my journey of self discovery and getting closer to the age old question of why I am doing this? Through my travels and projects, I have realized that the murals themselves weren’t the answer, they weren’t the true art, it is the journey of making the work that is my true art. The thousands of various beautiful people I have met on my art quest has made me realize that the key to life is the relationships we have with others. Without a tribe, we are nothing. My artwork has blessed me with the ability to create tribes around the world and show me how important the ones close to me are. Asides from my visual style and narrative, what sets me apart from others is my energy and just being me. I hope that I can bring some light to those I come across while making artwork that I am excited to make.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
The carefreeness of untainted innocence of being a child being with my family. Back in the day when it rained a lot in LA, i loved sliding back and forth in the back of my dad’s Cadillac with my brother on what seemed like endless giant slippery leather seats. We would watch the splashes and ripples caused by the rain on puddles as we drove by. Time stopped and It all seemed like beautiful slow motion scenes.

Pricing:

• Murals start at $10k and go up depending on size and complexity
• Private commissioned paintings are available upon request
• Licensing artwork available upon discussion

Contact Info:

• Website: https://uglyfresh.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tommii
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/tommiilim
• Twitter: https://Twitter.com/tommilim

Image Credits
All photos by Tommii Lim