Lim Tze Peng, Singapore’s oldest working artist renowned for his Chinese ink paintings, died at 103 on February 3rd. His death was confirmed by Ode to Art, which represented the artist for 17 years.
“Today, we bid farewell to Mr. Lim Tze Peng, a true national treasure whose artistry and vision have left a lasting mark on Singapore’s cultural landscape,” the gallery wrote on Facebook. “He was best known for his breathtaking ink paintings of old Singapore, which documented the kampongs, street scenes, and shophouses of a rapidly modernizing city. Mr. Lim was more than an artist—he was a storyteller, a guardian of our heritage, and a visionary who captured the essence of our changing city with every brushstroke.”
Lim is currently the subject of a major solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Singapore, “Becoming Lim Tze Peng.” The exhibition, which showcases 50 artworks that trace the evolution of his ink painting, will be on view until March 23rd.
Born in 1921 in Singapore, Lim never had a formal art education. After graduating from high school, he pursued a career in education, starting as a teacher at Xinmin School in 1949 and eventually becoming its principal. He held this position until his retirement in 1981, after which he dedicated himself to painting full-time. His series, “Old Singapore,” created post-retirement, consists of around 300 ink paintings that document the evolving cityscape of Singapore.
Over the years, Lim presented solo exhibitions at prestigious institutions, including Singapore Art Museum and Nanyang Academy of Fine Art. During this time his gallery Ode to Art also mounted eight solo exhibitions for the artist in Singapore. In 1977, the artist received the Special Prize at the Commonwealth Art Exhibition in England and the prestigious Cultural Medallion in Singapore in 2003.
“From a boy who once painted in the quiet corners of his kampong to an artist whose works now grace galleries and collections across the world—his journey was nothing short of extraordinary,” Ode to Art said in a statement.
Other than his cityscapes, Lim produced hundreds of paintings that combined elements of traditional Chinese calligraphy and Abstract Expressionism, which is evident in his “Inroad” series. The Straits Times reported in 2021 that Lim was still actively producing artwork, demonstrating his unwavering dedication to his craft.
Singaporean president Tharman Shanmugaratnam praised Lim’s life and career on Facebook: “Lim Tze Peng was convinced that the arts will raise the quality of life, and people’s spirits. We should honour that conviction,” he wrote.
