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Lim Tze Peng
Fresh Fruits for Sale (Work started in circa 1980s with colours added in 2020)
Ink on Paper, 66.5 x 67 cm
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About the artwork
The artwork evokes nostalgia for old Singapore, a time when street vendors and hawkers were central to daily life. The fruit sellers, often under makeshift umbrellas or perched on wooden carts, symbolize an era of simplicity and resilience, where bartering and casual conversations shaped the fabric of communal living. Lim’s faceless figures and fleeting lines capture the ephemeral quality of these moments, now faded into history but vividly remembered through collective memory. The bright, warm hues reflect the vibrant energy of the streets, contrasting with the slower pace of life before urbanization.
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.