Born in 1923, Lim Tze Peng is mainly a self-taught artist. Ink paintings and calligraphic works are predominantly featured in his work, though there is a small collection of early 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. He was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2003.Having grown up in a ‘kampong’ (village in Malay), Lim is attracted by the idyllic life of rural communities and sought out local villages to paint before development changed the face of the land. Lim’s dexterity with the brush can be seen in the fine linework and well-controlled ink washes.
