Born in 1923, Lim Tze Peng is mainly a self-taught artist. Ink paintings and calligraphic works are predominantly featured in his work, though there is a small collection of early oils, watercolours and drawings. He created a unique style of ink painting using rich brush and tonal details, and this approach is often regarded as a manifestation of the Nanyang Style in the ink medium. He was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2003.Before his retirement in the 1980s, Lim often spent his Sundays exploring the nooks and corners of Singapore’s streets, capturing the fast disappearing traditional trades such as the Chinese calligrapher depicted here.
