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.With his background as a calligrapher, lines are paramount in Lim’s works, often taking precedence over other formal aspects of art-making such as colour, space, texture, mass and volume. In ‘Untitled (Street Scene)’, confident lines clearly detail the intricate building facade while tonal washes add colour to the sky and ground.
