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.Best known for his street scenes in monochrome, Lim is equally deft in the handling of bright and vivid colours. Simple lines sketch the children selecting their lanterns while the coloured ink washes heighten the celebratory mood of the Lantern Festival.
