Lim Tze Peng

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About the artwork

凉州词二首·其一
唐 · 王翰
葡萄美酒夜光杯，欲饮琵琶马上催。醉卧沙场君莫笑
In Wang Han’s 凉州词, luminous cups of grape wine and the urgent strumming of the pipa create a fleeting moment of joy before battle. The soldier’s drunken repose upon the battlefield is not a gesture of weakness, but of humanity—an embrace of harmony and happiness even in the shadow of war.
This poem reminds us that beauty and laughter can coexist with hardship. The wine glows like starlight, the music flows like a river, and together they weave a tapestry of harmony that transcends conflict. In this brief indulgence, the soldier finds balance: joy against sorrow, music against silence, life against uncertainty.
The work speaks to the timeless human desire to seek happiness, even when surrounded by impermanence. It is a celebration of resilience, of the ability to find harmony in fleeting pleasures, and of the courage to smile in the face of destiny.

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.