About the artwork
Lim Tze Peng writes the characters of 枫桥夜泊 or Resting by the Maple Bridge by Zhang Ji (730 - 780) - a Tang Dynasty poet. The poem reads: 月落乌啼霜满天, 江枫渔火对愁眠. 姑苏城外寒山寺, 夜半钟声到客船. It translates to: As I watch the moon set, a crow caws through the frost. Under the shadows of maple trees, a fisherman moves with his torch - the light troubling my sleep. Beyond Gusu City, the Temple of Frosted Hills stands. And I hear, from beyond Su-chou, the chiming of the midnight bell - ringing for me, here in my boat.
About the artist
Born in Singapore in 1921, Lim Tze Peng is one of Singapore’s most significant artists and a living legend. Renowned for his Chinese ink creations of post-independence Singapore, he also practices Chinese calligraphy. Alongside local and international exhibitions, his masterpieces are exhibited in prominent Singapore institutions and part of many prestigious collections. Lim has been bestowed several awards including the Special Prize at the Commonwealth Art Exhibition in England in 1977 and the prestigious Cultural Medallion in Singapore in 2003. In May 2012, he broke records with the sale of his works at a Christies auction in Hong Kong.