Artist Spotlight: Sim

Many may know him to be the unassuming mailman on campus who goes about his day assisting customers at the TWU Campus Store, and delivering tax receipts to their mailboxes with a love letter mixed in there if they're lucky. Little do they know, he is a multi-talented artist with a heart for the Lord who has the ability to juggle many projects at once—a true visionary. If you cannot get enough, make sure to listen to the full interview via the QR code. 

MH: Who do we have the privilege of meeting today?

S: My name is Sim. I am a second-year linguistics student. My areas of interest are music, photography, tailoring and sewing. 

MH: What do you value in art?

S: Honesty, there’s something about being vulnerable that really resonates with people, so that’s what I attempt to do in my music. I’m more of a lyric person than a music person. People say Taylor Swift is a good lyricist–like, no–Ryan O’Neal is much better than Taylor Swift. I will say that. 

MH: A controversial opinion to have nowadays. Who inspires your music?

S: Music wise, [King] David, the way he writes the Psalms. I’ll be inspired by the Holy Spirit. I’ll turn my prayers into songs. Musician wise, Michael Kiwanuka, Leon Bridges–I really like his first album. My music is more like indie, soul, jazz fusion, and a little bit of house in there. 

MH: House music? I didn’t expect that.

S: Yeah, I’m really into House right now, because it’s so easy, relatively. I have a little recording studio in my room. 

MH: Can we find your music anywhere?

S: I have a SoundCloud: Yismemani.

MH: Who inspires your photography?

S: I’d say Joe Greer, Garry Winogrand and Joel Meyerowitz—both street photographers from the 70s. Phil Sharp and Dorothea Lange capture light in portraits beautifully. The emotion I am capturing in a portrait is an embodiment of my own feelings; photography is what I use to process. With still life, I just like things that are beautiful. It’s fun to capture life as it is. 

MH: What got you into sewing?

S: I just want to make clothes that fit me properly, that look nice, and are a style that I like. Some of that is expensive, so it’s a bit cheaper for me to make my own clothes. It's good learning and it's hard work. It takes a lot of time, but it's rewarding. I want to know what my clothes are made of, [and] where the fabric is sourced from. 

MH: What projects are you currently working on? 

S: I’m making a coat with a shawl collar for a friend. I’m trying to launch a brand—just a few items that’ll cycle in and out with the seasons. Mostly coats and pants, linens, wools, cotton. Stuff that’s good quality. I just don’t like how fabric these days is all plastic. Like, why am I wearing this?

MH: Any new music?

S: I’m working on a worship song with a friend. It’ll have some house elements in it. I want to start working on personal devotional songs again—I did that over Covid. I’m also working on some instrumental classical stuff because I enjoy classical music a lot. It’s mostly what I listen to. 

MH: That sounds peaceful. What about photography?

S: I didn’t really take any photos last year, so I’m trying to start again. I’m trying to do a portrait a week, or go out and shoot once a week. I have a monochromatic project that I’m trying to work on where the outfits and the environment are all the same color. It’s proven to be more difficult than I thought, especially if I’m doing it outside in nature. Another idea I want to explore is building a set in my home, just like having a studio. I also just like building things. I built a large format camera over Covid because I didn’t want to buy one. It’s workable. I just need to figure out the focal distance. I’ll have to test that, maybe this weekend. 

MH: What is your vision for all your endeavors? 

S: My short term vision for music is to impact people spiritually, to encourage them. In the long term, I want to change the way modern worship songs are written. They’re vague, and we’ve shifted away from hymnal music which was there for the purpose of educating the listener and the singer on who God is and what He’s done, and actually worship Him. I think we need to get back to that place of writing about who God is, his attributes,  what He’s done, and how great He is. Then the congregation is learning at the same time as worshipping. 

Photography wise, the dream is to be a photojournalist for missions work. And then sewing, I mean my brand: just making quality clothes for myself and others.

I’d say I try as best I can to incorporate the Holy Spirit into whatever it is I’m doing. I had an epiphany the other day that God made the world, and so He’s a creative being. I struggled with this question: is art valuable to God? I’ve realized that if I partner with the Holy Spirit, then He is able to use my art. That’s what drives me now, that beautiful collaboration between the physical and the spiritual.

MH: It was such a pleasure speaking to you and getting a glimpse into the vision you have for your work moving forward. Your honesty and vulnerability is apparent and showcases the intentionality you take in your work. When you commit your vision to the Lord, he will bring it to fruition. I’m excited to see it happen. 

S: Thank you! Let’s do this again, in a longform podcast next time.