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.Lim’s later calligraphic works, especially those created between 2000 and 2002, are distinctively bold, imposing, vigorous and confident. Believing that a good foundation in calligraphy is essential to the mastery of Chinese brush painting, Lim spent decades perfecting the art of calligraphy, assiduously studying ancient Chinese calligraphic masterpieces.
