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.Lim, who used to go for outdoor painting sessions on Sundays until recently due to his advanced age, favours painting on the spot as it enables him to capture the ambience and life of an environment. Lim’s works are therefore not simply faithfully representations but are imbued with emotions that evoke feelings of nostalgia in his viewers.
