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.Traditional and cultural activities such as Chinese ‘wayang’ (Malay for theatre performance) were highlights of community life in early Singapore that provided rich material for Lim. In this painting of a temporary roadside theatre, the stage is elaborately described through a vivid palette while the surrounding is drawn in monochromatic lines.
