Lim Tze Peng

Share

Share

Add fave View in room

About the artwork

Lim Tze Peng’s transition to total abstraction comes after a lifetime of dedication towards perfecting the calligraphic form. His many explorations along this journey sedimented an individual style of more ‘muddled’ or cursive writing. Having cited French post-impressionist painter Cezanne as one of his biggest influences, it perhaps comes as no surprise that this cursive form would come full circle and combine into itself as a total abstraction. Saturated brush strokes here turn characters into Rorschach-like images, blending in yet contrasting with light coloured washes at the base. Tze Peng has turned conventional notions of negative space on its head by providing a distinct foreground but not clearly demarcating it. The hint of Chinese characters and seal lend an oriental feel, but the evident abstract nature of this work is perhaps one of the boldest the artist has put on paper.

About the artist

Born in Singapore in 1921, Lim Tze Peng is one of Singapore’s most significant artists and a living legend. Renowned for his Chinese ink creations of post-independence Singapore, he also practices Chinese calligraphy. Alongside local and international exhibitions, his masterpieces are exhibited in prominent Singapore institutions and part of many prestigious collections. Lim has been bestowed several awards including the Special Prize at the Commonwealth Art Exhibition in England in 1977 and the prestigious Cultural Medallion in Singapore in 2003. In May 2012, he broke records with the sale of his works at a Christies auction in Hong Kong.