About the artwork
This black and white work by Lim Tze Peng depicts a bustling marketplace, full of vendors displaying their goods, and curious patrons who browse the stalls. Lim uses bold lines which articulate the defined forms of the umbrellas, people and the buildings in the background of the composition, while the rich tonal harmonies define the negative spaces through the blend of black and white shades over white. Light and dark modulate the contours of the artwork, creating a vibrant and energetic spirit that makes the scene come alive. Through the absence of colour, focus is instead placed on the stark beauty of Lim’s brushstrokes, rendering this scene of everyday life with dignity and a sense of nostalgia.
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.