Untitled (Women Drying Cuttlefish)

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.An avid traveller, Lim often went on painting trips to the neighbouring countries to seek inspiration and subject matter for his art. His ink paintings often depict the cultural and social narratives in a simple and direct manner.