More than a sense of taste, local tropical fruits offer a sense of place that is closely linked to the soil, vegetation, eating habits and potpourri of colours. After 17 years being based in Paris, Lim Kim Hai, dubbed the Apple King, relocated back home in a major exhibition in Kuala Lumpur in 1992. It’s been three decades and this 2003 still-life brings out the best in the 72-year-old artist in the fruits galore with all splendour of colours, the creased silvery drape and the wooden panel backdrop. Yellow rambutans (Nephelium / appaceum), mangosteens and clementine oranges with the thin peel in green or patchy orange. All these fruits are native to Southeast Asia. The yellow rambutan is more leathery and slightly bigger than the red variety, while its flesh does not stick easily to the under skin. The mangosteen is in dark purple, and has succulent white pulps inside. They represent identity the way apples, olives, avocado and grapes grow in other climes. Lim Kim Hai was the toast in Paris before deciding to return to Malaysia in 1992, and 2002 for good. His notable awards include the Golden Award in the Salon des Artistes Francais, Paris (1982), the Silver Award in the Salon Internationale Du Val D’Or, France (1984), the Salon de Mantes La Jolie, France, Rotary Club Award (1986), the Prix Henri Lehmann – Peinture from Institut de France, Academy des Beaux (1986) and the Golden and Public Awards from 52e Salon des Beaux Arts, Enghien-les-Bains, France (1987). No mean feat in Paris with its stringent standards. After graduating from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore in 1972, he furthered his studies at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Des Beaux Arts, Paris, France (1975-1980), and decided to stay put.