Lim Tze Peng

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About the artwork

"To me, a life without art is like a tree without roots." - Lim Tze Peng Those familiar with Lim Tze Peng's works would know that trees have long been one of his favourite subjects to paint, for they symbolize vitality, robustness and exuberance. Roots, in particular, have an additional significance to Lim, who firmly believes that an individual should be centred by a strong sense of rootedness. In this painting, Lim makes use of well-defined and heavily-pigmented calligraphic strokes to outline the silhouette of a tree. Then along with hints of colour, he plays around with lighting by applying ink of various densities on different areas. This depth effect also makes it seem as if audiences are placed at a special vantage point from which we can witness the old and majestic tree with branches sprouting upwards from its strong roots beneath and across the whole canvas. Lim covers the background in a lighter tone, with streaks of orange and yellow. This apricot tint gives off a warm glow and exudes an air of vitality and spontaneity, bringing the tree to life.

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.