Lim Tze Peng

Lim Tze Peng
林子平
Born	(1921-09-28) 28 September 1921 (age 103) Singapore
Known for	Chinese ink painting
Awards	1963: Public Administration Medal (PPA), Singapore 1977: Special Prize, Commonwealth Art Exhibition, England 1981: Public Service Medal, Singapore 2003: Cultural Medallion Award (Art)

Lim Tze Peng (Chinese: 林子平; pinyin: Lín Zǐpíng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Tsí-pîng, born 28 September 1921) is a Singaporean artist who is a teacher by training and profession. He was awarded a Cultural Medallion in 2003 in recognition of his contribution to the country's art and culture. In June 2021, it was reported that he was still producing art at the age of 99.^[1]

Lim Tze Peng (Lim Swee Lian) was born on 28 September 1923, Singapore,^[2] to a family of pig and chicken farmers in Pasir Ris. He is the eldest of seven children.^[3]

Lim Tze Peng studied at Guangyang Primary School and Chung Cheng High School.^[4]

In 1949, Lim Tze Peng became a primary school teacher at Xin Min School and then became principal in 1951.^[4] He remained as principal till he retired in 1981.^[4]

Lim Tze Peng is humble by nature, and goes about in his quiet way doing what he loves best without fanfare. He is content to stay in the background, preferring his paintings speak for themselves. He is a true artist, one who is not publicity-conscious. He is also an artist with a mission, and that mission is to remind Singaporeans of their heritage.^[2]

A self-taught artist, Lim is skilled in Chinese brush and calligraphy.^[5] The only formal art training he had was the drawing classes he attended in his school days.^[2] Lim started learning how to paint in his twenties and after his retirement, started to paint professionally.^[3]

To say Lim Tze Peng loves the Singapore yesteryear is an understatement. He was so passionate about it that he opted for an early retirement from his school principal's job in 1981, in order to spend all his time in recording the passing scene. The Singapore River, Boat Quay, Hock Lim Street, Merchant Road, Smith Street, Trengganu Street, Sago Lane, and Pagoda Street, live again in their original state in Lim Tze Peng's paintings.^[2]

Painting for Lim Tze Peng means sketching on the spot with Chinese ink and brush. It is a total experience in that he takes in what he sees and feels. at a single moment in time, selecting, analyzing, composing, and recording details simultaneously. His handling of tonal values and the swift notations of light and dark complement the decisive brush strokes to give life and movement to the subject matter. The calligraphic brush-work, rooted in the artist's deep knowledge of Chinese writing, is the most characteristic feature of Lim Tze Peng's work.^[2]

In 2003, Lim was awarded the Cultural Medallion and in 2016,^[3] he was awarded the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Meritorious Service Medal).^[6]

Lim Tze Peng scrutinised the masterpieces of the leading Chinese artists in history. He was convinced that the power of their work often resides in one singular aspect which dominated their overall achievements. His observations are revealing: the visual power of Pan Tianshou's (1897 - 1971) paintings radiates from the massiveness of his expansive forms; that of Qi Baishi's (1863 - 1957) from his overpowering sensitivity of touch; that of Wu Changshou's (1844 - 1927) from his intriguing balance of the painterly dynamics in his art.

Works in Chinese art history impressed him, particularly those characterised by a tremendous sense of directness, the orthodox and liberation. He has singled out the Ming masters such as Xu Wei (1521 - 1593) and Qing masters such as Pu Huan (1832 - 1911), whose dynamic works remain as powerful as they are contemporary today.^[7]

In 1981, Tze Peng plunged into an uninterrupted marathon race to complete a large number of Singapore scenes which had captured his imagination. This ambitious feat produced an impressive 300 ink paintings, covering a range of places which included Teochew Street, Amoy Street, Chinatown, Elgin Bridge, shop houses and sweeping overviews of the Singapore River. The Old Singapore Series became a valuable visual documentation of Singapore’s changing cityscape, during a time when the country’s urban renewal was happening at a hectic pace.^[7]

In 2000, Lim Tze Peng took up a 2-month artists' residency in the Cité Internationale des Arts, occupying an apartment belonging to the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in Singapore. His residency resulted in a body of works documenting the Parisian landscape, which included iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge, the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame Cathedral, and quintessential Parisian scenes of side streets and cafes.

He later donated 45 of these Chinese ink and colour paintings to NAFA. ^[8]

• Tze Peng, Lim (2007). 林子平:新加坡河的记忆 (Lim Tze Peng: Singapore River memory). Singapore: Cape of Good Hope Gallery.
• Chim Kang, Chua; Bridget Tracy, Tan, eds. (2003). Tze Peng. Singapore: Singapore Art Museum. ISBN 981-05-0094-7.

• NHB Press Release on exhibition Tze Peng in 2003
• Half length photograph portrait of Lim Tze Peng on National Library Board's Singapore Pages website

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