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Lim Tze Peng

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Lim Tze Peng
林子平
Born (1921-09-28) 28 September 1921 (age 103)
Singapore
Known forChinese ink painting
Awards1963: Public Administration Medal (PPA), Singapore
1977: Special Prize, Commonwealth Art Exhibition, England
1981: Public Service Medal, Singapore
2003: Cultural Medallion Award (Art)

Lim Tze Peng (Chinese: 林子平; pinyin: Lín Zǐpíng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Tsí-pîng, born 28 September 1921) is a Singaporean artist who is a teacher by training and profession. He was awarded a Cultural Medallion in 2003 in recognition of his contribution to the country's art and culture. In June 2021, it was reported that he was still producing art at the age of 99.[1]

Biography

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Lim Tze Peng (Lim Swee Lian) was born on 28 September 1923, Singapore,[2] to a family of pig and chicken farmers in Pasir Ris. He is the eldest of seven children.[3]

Lim Tze Peng studied at Guangyang Primary School and Chung Cheng High School.[4]

In 1949, Lim Tze Peng became a primary school teacher at Xin Min School and then became principal in 1951.[4] He remained as principal till he retired in 1981.[4]

Lim Tze Peng is humble by nature, and goes about in his quiet way doing what he loves best without fanfare. He is content to stay in the background, preferring his paintings speak for themselves. He is a true artist, one who is not publicity-conscious. He is also an artist with a mission, and that mission is to remind Singaporeans of their heritage.[2]

Painting Career

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A self-taught artist, Lim is skilled in Chinese brush and calligraphy.[5] The only formal art training he had was the drawing classes he attended in his school days.[2] Lim started learning how to paint in his twenties and after his retirement, started to paint professionally.[3]

To say Lim Tze Peng loves the Singapore yesteryear is an understatement. He was so passionate about it that he opted for an early retirement from his school principal's job in 1981, in order to spend all his time in recording the passing scene. The Singapore River, Boat Quay, Hock Lim Street, Merchant Road, Smith Street, Trengganu Street, Sago Lane, and Pagoda Street, live again in their original state in Lim Tze Peng's paintings.[2]

Painting for Lim Tze Peng means sketching on the spot with Chinese ink and brush. It is a total experience in that he takes in what he sees and feels. at a single moment in time, selecting, analyzing, composing, and recording details simultaneously. His handling of tonal values and the swift notations of light and dark complement the decisive brush strokes to give life and movement to the subject matter. The calligraphic brush-work, rooted in the artist's deep knowledge of Chinese writing, is the most characteristic feature of Lim Tze Peng's work.[2]

In 2003, Lim was awarded the Cultural Medallion and in 2016,[3] he was awarded the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Meritorious Service Medal).[6]

Influences

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Lim Tze Peng scrutinised the masterpieces of the leading Chinese artists in history. He was convinced that the power of their work often resides in one singular aspect which dominated their overall achievements. His observations are revealing: the visual power of Pan Tianshou's (1897 - 1971) paintings radiates from the massiveness of his expansive forms; that of Qi Baishi's (1863 - 1957) from his overpowering sensitivity of touch; that of Wu Changshou's (1844 - 1927) from his intriguing balance of the painterly dynamics in his art.

Works in Chinese art history impressed him, particularly those characterised by a tremendous sense of directness, the orthodox and liberation. He has singled out the Ming masters such as Xu Wei (1521 - 1593) and Qing masters such as Pu Huan (1832 - 1911), whose dynamic works remain as powerful as they are contemporary today.[7]

Old Singapore Series

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In 1981, Tze Peng plunged into an uninterrupted marathon race to complete a large number of Singapore scenes which had captured his imagination. This ambitious feat produced an impressive 300 ink paintings, covering a range of places which included Teochew Street, Amoy Street, Chinatown, Elgin Bridge, shop houses and sweeping overviews of the Singapore River. The Old Singapore Series became a valuable visual documentation of Singapore’s changing cityscape, during a time when the country’s urban renewal was happening at a hectic pace.[7]

Artists' residency in Paris

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In 2000, Lim Tze Peng took up a 2-month artists' residency in the Cité Internationale des Arts, occupying an apartment belonging to the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in Singapore. His residency resulted in a body of works documenting the Parisian landscape, which included iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge, the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame Cathedral, and quintessential Parisian scenes of side streets and cafes.

He later donated 45 of these Chinese ink and colour paintings to NAFA. [8]

Major Exhibitions

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Dates Title Location
1970 1st Solo Exhibition Singapore
1977 Royal Overseas League Exhibition England
1978 Singapore Artists Art Exhibition in Moscow Friendship House, Moscow
1980 Fifth Festival of Asian Art Hongkong
1981 Singapore Calligraphy Exhibition Singapore
1982 Seventh International Artists Art Exhibition Taiwan
1986 Eighth International Artists Art Exhibition Taiwan
1987 Three-man Art Exhibition Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
1988 France Salon Exhibition Palais, France
1989 New York Art Expo '89

First Bru-Sin Art Exhibition '89

New York

Brunei

1991 2nd Solo Exhibition National Museum Art Gallery
Singapore

Tze Peng by Himself, 1993, Singapore Art Fair presented by Gim Ng of Shenn's Fine Art, Singapore

1995 Moments by Lim Tze Peng (solo) curated and presented by Gim Ng of Shenn's Fine Art and Takashimaya Gallery
Singapore
1998 Meeting Places in Fleeting Spaces Singapore Art Museum
Singapore
2003 Tze Peng Singapore Art Museum
Singapore
2021 Soul of Ink: Lim Tze Peng at 100 Exhibition The Arts House, Singapore
2023 Lim Tze Peng Solo Exhibition – From Lion City To London / Start Art Fair Saatchi Gallery, London
United Kingdom

Awards

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Dates Title Location
1963 National Day Award (PPA) Singapore
1977 Special Prize, Commonwealth Art Exhibition England
1981 National Day Award (PBM) Singapore
2003 Cultural Medallion Singapore
2016 Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Meritorious Service Medal) Singapore

Bibliography

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  • Tze Peng, Lim (2007). 林子平:新加坡河的记忆 (Lim Tze Peng: Singapore River memory). Singapore: Cape of Good Hope Gallery.
  • Chim Kang, Chua; Bridget Tracy, Tan, eds. (2003). Tze Peng. Singapore: Singapore Art Museum. ISBN 981-05-0094-7.

References

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  1. ^ "Singapore's oldest living pioneer artist Lim Tze Peng marks 100 years". The Straits Times. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Lim Tze Peng Reminiscence - Old Singapore. Singapore: Beaumont Publishing Pte Ltd. January 1991.
  3. ^ a b c "CNA Lifestyle Experiences: At 98, Singapore's oldest living artist continues to be obsessed with art". CNA. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Lim Tze Peng | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  5. ^ Singapore Artists Art Exhibition in Moscow 1978. Singapore Ministry of Culture. 1978.
  6. ^ "Pioneer artist who brought scenes of old Singapore to life". The Straits Times. 9 August 2016. p. 4. Retrieved 18 October 2022 – via NewspaperSG.
  7. ^ a b Tan, Bridget Tracy (1998). Fascinating landscapes: The Art of Lim Tze Peng. Singapore: Singapore Art Museum.
  8. ^ Tan, Bridget Tracy (2006). Tze Peng in Paris. Singapore: Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Headquarters & School of Visual Arts.
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