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’s fascination with trees is evident throughout his career and he has produced many paintings of them. In recent years, the trees have begun to dominate as the main subject, growing increasingly massive, overwhelming all other elements. In the village scene shown here, the tree, drawn with expressive and energetic brushwork, provides shade for a group of women under its spreading branches.
