Born in 1923, Lim Tze Peng is largely a self-taught artist. In his oeuvre, ink paintings and calligraphic works feature prominently, although there is a small number of 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. Lim, a school principal until his retirement in the early 1980s, was awarded the Cultural Medallion by the Singapore government in 2003.Street scenes are a recurring subject for Lim and he is known to paint the same spot more than once. However he has always managed to keep his paintings fresh as he looks beyond a realistic representation, and seeks to present the life, colour and activities of the environment, as can be seen in this painting of ‘Merchant Road’.
