Born in Singapore, Lim Mu Hue (1936-2008) graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1955. From 1960 to 1969, Lim taught at his alma mater, and in the 1970s he worked as an art editor for Nanyang Siang Pau. Since 1957, Lim had participated in more than 15 exhibitions, including eight solo exhibitions in Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan and Hong Kong. In 1966, together with five other artists, Lim was part of the ‘6-Man Woodcut Exhibition’, the first exhibition dedicated to the medium in Singapore.This woodcut, which was exhibited in the ‘6-Man Woodcut Exhibition’ in 1966, depicts three Malay women sitting under a tree playing the traditional game, ‘Congkak’. Unlike the two ladies who are engaged in the game, the lady in the centre looks relaxed, reflecting the Chinese title, ‘the onlooker is clear-minded’.
