Lim Tze Peng

Lim Tze Peng

By Wang, Zineng written, October 2007
National Library Board Singapore

Lim Tze Peng (b. 28 September 1923, Singapore -), artist, winner of the Cultural Medallion in 2003, first established his art practice in the early 1950s with a series of oil paintings on Chinese junks. He is best known for the significant number of Chinese ink drawings and paintings of Chinatown and the Singapore River he produced during the early 1980s when urban redevelopment focused on these two areas. Having a solid foundation in Chinese philosophy, art and culture, Lim also practised Chinese calligraphy, especially in the 1990s.  

Early Life
Lim was educated at Chung Cheng High School. Upon graduation, he became a teacher in Xin Min School in 1949. In 1951, he became principal of the school where he remained until 1981.

Accomplishments
Lim participated actively in artist field trips around the Southeast Asian region in the 1960s. From the 1970s onwards, he has participated in several exhibitions - solo and group. His first solo exhibition was in 1970. Since then, he has exhibited his works widely in Singapore and abroad. He held three solo exhibitions in the 1990s and  has participated in more than 20 group exhibitions to date. In the last four years, significant donations of his works have entered the Singapore Art Museum and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts through the artist and his collectors. For his contributions to art, Lim has received several awards including the Cultural Medallion in 2003.

About Lim Tze Peng

Mr Lim Tze Peng was born in Singapore in 1923. Largely self-taught, Tze Peng drew from the available traditions evident at the birth of Singapore’s artistic scene in the 30s and 40s. Even though Lim was born and educated in Singapore, his diligent studies and daily dedication to practising his craft enabled him to excel in the Chinese ink tradition.