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.A desire to record street scenes before they were changed forever by redevelopment spurred Lim to seek out favourite haunts, quaint corners and iconic spots. Executed often in Chinese ink as the medium allows him to paint with speed, the paintings are now precious reminders of a bygone age.
