Background

Lim was born in Pasir Ris, Pulau Ujong, Singapore, on September 28, 1923. He is the eldest of seven children in the family of farmers.

Education

Lim Tze Peng started to paint since an early childhood. Passionate about his hobby, he practiced painting with great endeavor, producing still lifes rendered in watercolours and oils. He was educated at Guangyang Primary School and Chung Cheng High School. Around this period of time, his love for Chinese calligraphy and oil painting was cultivated under the supervision of such art teachers as Lu Heng, Wong Jai Ling, Gao Peize, and Yeh Chi Wei. In calligraphy, Lim's style was greatly influenced by Kang Youwei, and Kang’s discussion on the aesthetics of Chinese calligraphy in one of his artworks, Guang Yi Zhou Shuang Ji. Lim’s ink paintings, on the other hand, were mainly influenced by Huang Bin Hong.

Career

Lim took up teaching at Xinmin Secondary School in 1949. He became the school’s principal in 1951 and occupied this position until his retirement in 1981. Throughout his educational career, he continually pursued his passion for art. Lim often went on excursions around Singapore and painted various landscapes. He notably enjoyed depicting Malay kampongs, which he constantly painted until they gradually were replaced by other urban developments. He then turned to old residential ethnic buildings in the city.

Lim Tze Peng participated actively in artist field trips with the Ten Men Group around the Southeast Asian region, especially during the 1960s and the 1970s. Lim's widely-known Bali series was created during such field trips, mostly in the 1970s and 1980s. The 1970s pieces are easily recognized by broad washes of gloom, glasslike ink, harmonized with looser compositions, whereas the 1980s paintings are characterized by brisk, cunning and accurate lines. Lim is also known for his Chinese ink paintings of Chinatown and the Singapore River, which he created at the beginning of the 1980s, when urban redevelopment focused on these two areas.

His first solo exhibition was held in 1970. Since then, he has exhibited his works widely, both in Singapore and abroad. The artist participated in many group exhibitions during the 1970s and 1980s around the world, including such countries as Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Brunei. After his retirement from his teaching position in 1981, he entirely devoted himself to his art practice and started to gain recognition for his impressive output. His second solo show took place in 1991.

During the late 2000s, Lim produced his series of calligraphy "Muddled Writing". During this time his landscape paintings began to move away from his previous realist approach to a more contemporary expressionist style. He produced "Colour Calligraphy", which was rooted in the Chinese ink tradition but also involved the use of colour pigments, a practice uncommon in traditional Chinese calligraphy.

In 2009 Lim Tze Peng became the first Singaporean to have a solo exhibition at the National Art Museum of China. Lim also held a one-man exhibition "Tze Peng in Bali" at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts that was held from April to May 2012. It featured 50 paintings of Bali, Indonesia, made over 30 years. In July 2012, he organized another solo exhibition titled "Lim Tze Peng’s Solo Exhibition: Black and White", at Ode To Art Marina Bay Sands Gallery. This show comprised of more than 20 paintings of Singapore made over the past 12 months.

In July 2014, the Lim Tze Peng Gallery was officially opened at Lim Tze Peng's alma mater, Chung Cheng High School. It was founded by Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong. The artist donated over a hundred of his paintings, of which close to a hundred are corruntly exhibited in the gallery.

Achievements

• 

  Lim Tze Peng is one of Singapore’s most respected artists. For his contributions to art, the artist has received several awards, including the National Day Award (PPA), Singapore, in 1963; the Special prize, Commonwealth Art Exhibition, England, in 1977; the National Day Award (PBM), Singapore, in 1981; the Cultural Medallion, Singapore, in 2003; and the National Day Award (Meritorious Service Medal), Singapore, in 2016.
  
  His artworks have been exhibited not only in his native country, but also abroad, both in solo and group exhibitions. Through donations made by Lim and collectors of his art, a large number of his works have entered the Singapore Art Museum and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.
  
  In May 2012, Lim broke records with the sale of his paintings at a Christie's auction in Hong Kong.

Works

More photos

• painting

  • Singapore River Scenes VIII

  • Autumn Morning - Xu Hun

  • Abstract Calligraphy

  • Singapore River V

  • The River Runs Red by Yue Fei

  • Drawing Water

  • On an Autumn Night to Councillor Qiu by Wei Ying Wu

  • Universal Love

  • Calligraphy Series

  • Chestnuts for Sale

  • The East Turns White as the Five Continents Look On

  • Happiness

  • Grove of Trees

  • Boats on Balinese Shores

  • Ocean

  • Longevity and Abundance

  • Old Singapore Scene

  • Climbing White Stork Mountain by Wang Zhi Huan

  • Morning Markets

  • Autumn in the Mountains by Wang Wei

  • Balinese Vendors

  • Shops by the Street

  • A Busy Day at Chinatown

  • Song of the Pipa Player by Bai Juyi

  • On Yueyang Tower by Du Fu

  • Singapore River (Four Boats)

  • As boundless as the seas and the skies

  • Tolerance

  • Banana Stall

  • Sceneries in Li Jiang

  • Temple Front

Views

Quotations: "There is no way I can outdo calligraphers from the ancient times even if I practise calligraphy for another 100 years. They had no distractions and were able to concentrate purely on the art."

"I see and I paint, now it's I reflect and I paint."

"Build your foundations step by step the hard way, then you will be able to express yourself freely later [...] Inspiration doesn’t come from within naturally, it emerges from unceasing practice and hard work."

"When I think too much about painting or writing calligraphy, I can’t sleep well. Even when I’m sitting here, I’m thinking of it. When I lie down on my bed, I’m thinking of it!"

"Although I’m close to 100 years old, I want to make the best use of my time. I want to think more and innovate more."

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• Jazz Chong: "He’s a very important Chinese ink artist in Singapore; the oldest and probably the most prominent Singaporean artist alive. Because he has had so many years of practice, you see the evolution of his works."

Interests

• Artists

  Kang Youwei, Huang Bin Hong

Connections

Lim is married to Soh Siew Lay. They have six children.

Spouse:

Soh Siew Lay

References

• Fascinating landscapes: The art of Lim Tze Peng Book by Bridget Tracy Tan.
  1998
• Tze Peng Exhibition catalog of the painter Lim Tze Peng. Includes biography and bibliography.
  2002