Singapore's national treasure, ink artist Lim Tze Peng, passes at 103

Singapore has just lost another figure in their local arts scene, and this time round it is Lim Tze Peng, whom The Straits Times has described as the country’s “oldest living artist and national treasure”. Who is he, and how did he help shape Singapore’s visual arts scene in his 103 years of life?

Image: Cape of Good Hope Art Gallery / Facebook

Lim Tze Peng was a Singaporean artist who was best known for his Chinese ink paintings that depicted the classic sights of Singapore, along with his unique style of calligraphy, reports The Straits Times.

Image: Heng Swee Keat / Facebook

According to his biography by Beaumont Publishing in the book ‘Lim Tze Peng Reminiscence - Old Singapore’, Lim Tze Peng was born on September 28, 1921, in Singapore.

Image: Singapore National Gallery / Facebook

The official page on the artist by the National Library Board of Singapore states that Lim Tze Peng was once an educator, and had worked as a primary school teacher at Xin Min School and moved his way up to serve as the school’s principal until his retirement in 1981.

Image: Lee Hsien Loong / Facebook

Lim Tze Peng’s journey as an artist started later than most, as he was a self-taught artist, stated his biography by Beaumont Publishing, and he learnt how to paint only when he reached his twenties!

Image: Lim Tze Peng 100

Zaobao continues with adding more information to Lim Tze Peng’s classic art style, attributing it to a base in Chinese calligraphy when he had learnt it when he was younger.

Image: National Gallery Singapore

According to his official website, Lim Tze Peng was best known for his depictions of classic and later modern Singapore through his artwork. His work is greatly admired and appreciated by Singapore, and he has had official exhibitions in several galleries, both in Singapore and abroad!

Image: Lim Tze Peng 100

Lim Tze Peng was greatly appreciated for his contributions to Singapore’s arts scene, so much so that Zaobao reported that he was awarded the highest honours an artist can achieve in the country, being granted the ‘Cultural Medallion’ in 2003 and the ‘Meritorious Service Medal’ in 2016.

Image: Lim Tze Peng / Facebook

Channel News Asia reports that Lim Tze Peng had continually been active in Singapore’s arts scene up till his passing, remaining an “active and innovative artist”, who continued to “[build] deep, meaningful connections within the art community” despite his age.

Image: Edwin Tong / Facebook

It was on February 3 that Lim Tze Peng was reported to have died at 103 from complications from pneumonia, reports The Straits Times. With the loss of one of Singapore’s most respected artists, many prominent figures in the country have taken to mourning his loss, such as the nation’s president, Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Image: The Lim Tze Peng Art Gallery