About the artwork
Lim Tze Peng renders his calligraphy with passion and raw energy, breathing new life into the symbolic words he chooses to represent. In this piece, he writes the word 龍 which means dragon. The dragon is an important mythical creature in Chinese culture - traditionally described as a mixture of nine animals including snakes, eagles, tigers and deer. It represents transformation and flexibility, power and courage, nobility and intelligence. The dragon was the symbol of the Emperor himself.
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.