Lim Tze Peng

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About the artwork

Lim Tze Peng writes the characters of 卜算子詠梅 or Ode to the Plum Blossom by Lu You (1125-1210) - a famous Song Dynasty poet and government official. The poem reads: 驿外断桥边，寂寞开无主。已是黄昏独自愁，更著风和雨. 无意苦争春，一任群芳妒。零落成泥碾作尘，只有香如故。 It translates to: Near the broken bridge outside the fortress I go, lonely and disoriented. It is already dusk and I am alone and anxious, more so when the wind and rain start to blow. I do not mean to fight for Spring, I would rather be alone and envied by the crowd. I will fall, become earth, be crushed to dust. My glory will be the same as before. The poem addresses the loneliness of the Plum Blossom which thrives in winter when other plants fail and is a symbol of resilience and perseverance in Chinese culture. In the same vein, the poet Lu You felt gloomy and disappointed with his corrupt fellow officials. He would rather forge a path on his own and be envied and excluded by the others, remaining steadfast to his beliefs.

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.