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This oil painting is a more recent illustration of the popular Granny Smith variety. Where the earlier work is rooted in realism, here the colour tone and shade give a sense of weightlessness, as though the apples float upwards and outwards toward the viewer. Since the 1980s the artist has obviously gained enough confidence to risk the style and subtly direct his brush towards Surrealist expression. The clues to look for are the bluish tint in the depth of shadows, the bruised portions defying a near perfect apple and the speckles which randomly dot the overall canvas, adding a glint of magic to the composition.

Lim Kim Hai studied at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore and Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts, Paris. He won the Golden Award from Salon des Artistes Francais, Paris in 1982, Silver Award from Salon Internationale, Du Val D’Or, France in 1984; Prix Henri Lehmann from Institut de France, Academy des Beau in 1986. His works have been showcased widely in France, Moscow, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.