Lim Tze Peng

Lim Tze Peng (, 28 September 1921 – 3 February 2025) was a Singaporean artist. 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.

Background Lim Tze Peng (Lim Swee Lian) was born on 28 September 1921 in Singapore to a family of pig and chicken farmers in Pasir Ris. He was the eldest of seven children.

Lim studied at Guangyang Primary School and Chung Cheng High School (Main).

In 1949, Lim became a primary school teacher at Xin Min School and then became principal in 1951.

Painting career Lim created art related to the heritage of Singapore. The only formal art training he had was the drawing classes he attended in his school days.

To say Lim Tze Peng loved 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, are depicted in their original state in Lim Tze Peng's paintings.

Influences Lim scrutinised the masterpieces of the leading Chinese artists in history. He was convinced that the power of their work often resided 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 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.

Old Singapore series In 1981, Tze Peng plunged into an uninterrupted marathon race to complete a large number of Singapore scenes which had captured his imagination. This produced 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.

Major exhibitions

First Bru-Sin Art Exhibition '89New York Brunei19912nd Solo ExhibitionNational Museum Art GallerySingapore

Tze Peng by Himself, 1993, Singapore Art Fair

Awards