School
of Creative
Industries

Lim Yan Keng, Kyl

Lim Yan Keng, Kyl

MA Art Therapy
2018 — 2020

Upon completing her BA(Hons) Design Communication in 2011, Kyl Lim began her journey as an advertising designer and creative copywriter, gaining invaluable life experiences and transferable skills before undertaking her MA Art Therapy studies at LASALLE College of the Arts. With her design background, Kyl’s work straddles the realms of surrealism art, visual narratives and avant-garde editorial design. As part of her MA Art Therapy training, she had the privilege to work closely with migrant communities and adult cancer survivors where it further piqued her research interests in health psychology, eudaimonic well-being and management of psychosomatic ailments. She believes that art therapy is key to creative living and in managing neurodiversities without being bounded by any prescriptive intellectual shackles.

Work

Licht and Shadow

Graphic pens and acrylic paint
36” x 48”
2020

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Thesis abstract

Metapoiesis: integrating the principles of salutogenesis in art therapy within a cancer rehabilitation facility in Singapore

Poiesis has its etymological roots in Greek, is defined as the act of making; bringing something that was non-existent into being. Meta, a prefix from Greek, means 1) after, beyond, 2) change and 3) transcending. In this thesis, metapoiesis is defined as the emergence of human transcendence that the artist-cancer survivor endeavours as s(he) transforms the chaos of cancer to post-traumatic growth—an artistic and creative reproduction or rebirth of his or her post-cancer identity. Through a practitioner-based single case study extracted from a group art therapy context, this thesis seeks to resolve the research inquiry by drawing on the arts to examine the therapeutic values of integrating the principles of sense of coherence, the central concept of salutogenesis, within a cancer survivorship setting in the hope to create meaningful links between art therapy and positive psychology. This thesis departs from the traditional biomedical model that focuses on the pathological causes of the diseased state (pathogenesis) to a contemporary medical one that is concerned with the relationship between health, stress and coping, focusing on what supports human health (salutogenesis) which becomes a relevant framework within this clinical population. A discussion of the clinical findings corralled is reviewed, followed by an examination of the benefits and limitations of integrating the immunological triad within the short-term art therapy intervention to determine the usefulness of this therapeutic shift not because it cures the disease, but it nurtures the growth of salutogenic (health-promoting) resources which provide support and immunity against the collapse of self as cancer survivors cope with the chronic hardship of what the illness entails to build a sense of self that is ever higher.

Work experience

Jan 2019 – Apr 2020
Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME)
Art therapist trainee
Provided art therapy interventions

Jan 2019 – Apr 2020
Singapore Cancer Society (SCS)
Art therapist trainee
Provided art therapy interventions

Sep 2012 – Aug 2014
Supermarket Creatives, SG
Advertising designer
Facilitated and managed the team’s brainstorming sessions, FA production as well as the advertising-related campaigns for clients such as Sentosa Resort World, SMRT Transit and Singapore Grand Prix (SG F1), to name a few.

Dec 2011 – Jun 2012
Dream Solutions, SG
Creative designer-cum-copywriter
Took charge of company’s copywriting collaterals including proofreading and junior creative designer’s general responsibilities.