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.Lim’s keenly observed and detailed paintings of Singapore’s streets are invaluable reminders of a bygone era before urban renewal dramatically changed the cityscape in the 1980s. As many street stalls and traditional trades, such as the dessert shop depicted here, have disappeared, Lim’s paintings never fail to evoke feelings of nostalgia from the older generation.
