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.The Singapore River is one of Lim’s favourite subjects and he has painted it throughout his artistic career. Yet, the river under his brush is never the same: this panoramic view of the river and surrounding shophouses is seen from the neaby Fort Canning.
