Lim Tze Peng started late in life; everything got going only after the ripe old age of 80. A Cultural Medallion awardee at 82 and a Meritorious Service recipient at 95, Lim Tze Peng is used to the twists and turns of life and has been trained by experience to endure the vagaries of fate. His art could be described as the art of perseverance. Lim Tze Peng’s recent works are bigger, bolder, and boast far more colours than ever before. Their spirit is as invigorating as that of a young man, whilst embodying the soul of a sage.
Accompanying the launch of the book, Soul of Ink: Lim Tze Peng at 100, the exhibition, presents 20 of Lim Tze Peng’s most recent ink works completed since 2020. The exhibition will be held at The Arts House from 14 to 20 June 2021 and open to the public from 15 to 19 June. Curated by Low Sze Wee, CEO of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre and the former Director (Curatorial, Collections and Education) of the National Gallery Singapore, the exhibition unfolds in five parts, each tracing the arc of Lim Tze Peng’s approaches to his work.
Among the featured works are four paintings which trace back to the 1980s when Lim Tze Peng became a full-time artist and raced to paint the fast-disappearing scenes as the country underwent rapid redevelopment. These four paintings — Morning at Arab Street, Crowded Bugis Street, Tanjong Rhu Riverside and Riverside — were started in the 1980s but reworked by the artist in 2020 with an overlay of bold colours, thus injecting a new vibrancy to his memories of Singapore.
The new works on display reflect Lim Tze Peng’s evolving practice. Unable to continue painting outdoors due to his old age in the 2000s, Lim started working at home where he could create monumental pieces, using huge brushes on large sheets of paper. Due to his many years on a farm, Lim loved to paint trees. This intersected with his passion for calligraphy when he painted trees using calligraphic strokes. In recent years, he pushed the boundaries of calligraphy even further by developing a wildly cursive style which he calls “muddled writing” (hutuzi), and adding vibrant colours to heighten the emotional impact of his works.
Admission: Admission is free but registration is required. To register, please visit: https://bit.ly/3ypWIvo.
Venue: The Arts House Gallery
When: 15 - 30 Jun 2021, 11am - 6pm
By: The Arts House at the Old Parliament
