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.Despite painting the Singapore River many times in his career, the river under Lim’s brush is never the same as he challenges himself to find refreshing new perspectives every time. This painting shows bumboats against a backdrop of elegant arches and picturesque shophouses.