Larger Than Life, Lim Tze Peng

LARGER THAN LIFE LIM TZE PENG A chronicle through Singapore’s historical heritage and cultural diversities in Chinese ink.

An extensive range of expressive landscapes, trailing characters of calligraphic ink and unforgettable fragments of a city’s memories that are larger than life itself.

FORE WORD

FOREWORD Scholar, teacher, veteran- artist; Having had the honor of being part of Lim Tze Peng’s artistic representation for over six years, Ode to Art is both proud and delighted to present a special series of oversized works by the artist, crafted extensively for the event of Artstage 2014. In this exclusive and amplified range of expressive landscapes, trailing characters of calligraphic ink and unforgettable fragments of a city’s memories, the 92 year old artist still embodies the vigor and enterprise showcased in his art; his technical skill and creativity moving exponentially as he endeavors unrelentingly to widen his artistic horizons.

From his historic scenes of Singapore to his contemporary calligraphy, each oversized work created

by Lim Tze Peng for this occasion exudes not only technical skill but also a nostalgic embodiment of the cultural spirit of Singaporean and Chinese tradition. Ever effervescent in the pursuit of venture, the extent and diversity to his pieces are remarkable. Capturing life in the simplest haunts of post-independence Singapore, the magnitude of his works encompass color that not only reflects the minute detailing of representation, but takes on emotional tones, where hues imbibe emotion, expelling it as aesthetic expression to the viewer. From the dancing colors reflected on the balming blue of the Singapore River,

to the nostalgic browns of his shop houses, Lim Tze Peng uses understated vibrancy to bring to life the captured snapshots of Singapore’s past. By doing so, the images transcend mere reminiscence and are rendered as timeless interpretations, showing viewers regardless of time and age, an almost tangible depiction of an ephemeral memory. The scale of his art allows the inclusion of not only the humble people and their trade, but the looming landscapes that frame them, bringing to light the isolation and natural harmony that existed before the rise of skyscrapers and the fast track of city life. Dark skies, vibrant trees and expansive skylines of low traditional homes- Lim Tze Peng endeavors to portray with soul stirring accuracy, the simplicity of times bygone.

Expressions of energy and impeccable artistic form are the structured bases of ancient Chinese Art, aiming to celebrate inscrutable accuracy and inherent spiritual connotations of the line. Such tradition is returned to and simultaneously transmuted to contemporary in Lim Tze Peng’s dually grandiose and simplistic calligraphy art. A canonical measurement of skill in Chinese art, Calligraphy is depicted by Lim in clerical, seal and grass (cursive) scripts, charged with unmitigated abstract energy and sometimes speckled with color. Words often overlap and depict emotion more than the technicality of the stroke, performing a lyrical interpretation of his words of choice and conveying emotion more than detached accuracy. The larger works of his calligraphy are often breathtaking in their looming intensity; such subtle power of a simple brushstroke is the hallmark of Lim Tze Peng’s art.

A living legend of the South East Asian art world and Singapore’s most celebrated artist in modern times, Lim Tze Peng was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2003 and broke records with the sale of his Singapore River Scene (1978) painting at a Christies auction in 2011- a proud moment for our gallery as one of his representatives. Lim Tze Peng has been a great artist and friend to our gallery and we aspire to bring to focus the incredible energy and perseverance of his art, reflecting the man behind the creation.

Moving, poignant and aesthetically resplendent, we invite you to explore the extensive works of Lim Tze Peng and bask in the nostalgia of a culture that he has rendered as timeless, amidst the whirlpool of modern progress.

by Jazz Chong Director, Ode to Art

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Tze Peng in black and white “When asked which were the most beautiful colours, he said black and white because one (black) gives force … by deepening the shadows and the other, (white) relief.”

Carlo Ridolfi on the master Venetian painter, Tinteretto, 1594 – 16581 “Around the tenth century, artists began to develop systems of repeated brushstrokes that render texture and tactile surfaces. In landscape painting, the cun (literally, wrinkles) or texture strokes, define geologically the various rocky and earthy masses… fine strokes are patiently applied to differentiate (detail)… Uneven applications of such strokes also serve as a kind of shading to give an effect of convexity to forms.”

James Cahill, Approaches to Chinese painting Part II2

The pillars of Chinese art have always been painting, calligraphy, poetry and seal carving: four practices that have together developed the skills of any literati painting to produce some of the more sophisticated examples of fine Chinese art. Practice aside, scholarly influences through philosophy and access to deeper reflections that invoked greater refinement and elevation were also part of grooming a great painter. The historian Yang Xin writes that by the end of the Tang dynasty in China, painting had crossed a threshold where “the tendency to use less colour and even just water and ink alone,” he states, “be-

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came prevalent.”3 In retrospect, critics and historians cannot concur on the reasons for why such a development came to pass. Many conclusions articulate the same premise that in scholarly retreat, paintings that evolved to a more symbolic character through representation of landscapes and specific subjects, such as birds, bamboo, rocks and so on, all of which conveyed different combinations of a particular message or ideal, rather than an immediate translation of nature and reality. In this instance, the art that was produced was arguably one of a more measured and studied context, when artists retreated and stayed in studios, armed with only their thoughts and alone with the skills of their brush and ink.

“When doing black and white paintings, the artist needs to understand his ink very well. When ink is used well, the strokes itself can encapsulate the artistic intention,” Tze Peng says, when asked about the monochromatic medium he has employed of late.4 He harks back to the era of calligraphic writing and scholarly intent, where

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the strokes are as equally significant as the written word itself. The forms are dominated by careful application of ink and handling of the brush. Tze Peng acknowledges that black and white may seem sparse, but in reality, he points to a spectrum that is realized with three colours: black, white and the symphonic ‘grey’. “Eventually,” Tze Peng maintains, “black and white compositions must fulfill the role of colour.”

The artist Lim Tze Peng has evolved in his own illustrious career for over 6 decades at least. A teacher and headmaster of school when he first began his adult life, painting for him was somewhat a concurrent pursuit that mirrored his own passions for the vitality of life in his community. Self taught and dedicated to his own personal study, Tze Peng has over the years, developed his own practice employing the traditional techniques of Chinese brushwork, all the while incorporating strands of influence from both East and West. As a painter of this region we know today, Southeast Asia or Nanyang (literally, South seas)5 to many members of the pioneering arts community, it is important to note that the art of Tze Peng provides perspectives of the emerging modernity that defines the heart of this region, through its art, through its culture and civilization.

1 Painters on Painting, selected and edited with Introduction by Eric Protter, Dover Publications 1997, p.53 2 Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting, Yale University Press & Beijing Foreign Languages Press 1997, p.9 3 Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting, Yale University Press & Beijing Foreign Languages Press 1997, p.3 4 Interview with Tze Peng, 11 June 2012. All quotes

by Tze Peng following are take ad verbatim from this interview, unless otherwise stated.

5 This denotation is made in the context of the early émigré community, who were leaving the Southern Chinese ports to come down the South China sea into the region we know as Southeas Asia. The region is largely defined by the Malay peninsula at one end and the Indonesia archipelago at the other, and from the 19th century onwards, the heart of which was the colonial Straits Settlements comprising Malaya, Penang and Singapore.

Old Singapore has particularly endeared itself to Tze Peng, whose early series of paintings provide a considerable record of the community and life prior to official urban redevelopment. This particularly applies to his scenes of Chinatown and the Singapore river, as well as its surrounding area. He has travelled around the region and often, painting numerous scenes of local landscapes that personify that beauty that is Southeast Asia, from sandy kampongs to bustling street markets; from traditional kelongs to sites of coastal industry (fishing, boat repair and transportation).

Beyond the obvious elements of human habitation, Tze Peng has also favoured the more vintage atmospheres found in places such as Lijiang in China, Paris, tribal villages in Sumatra, the captivating charm of Nepal and last but not least, the mystical island of Bali.

Most of these paintings provide a generous insight for how Tze Peng’s paintings have redefined Chinese ink painting. Many works are serial and collate as a group.

The nature of the renderings is based on a predominant Western discipline: that of sketching or drawing on the site itself. What differentiates Tze Peng’s form of ‘sketching’ or drawing as it were, is how he completes each painting as a fully realized work. It is not merely a drawing as part of practice, but a full rendering of the sight and scene before him. The quality most evident in his Chinese ink is the density of his brushstroke, carefully if briskly mediated by his attention to balance and harmonious composition within the space. Compositions in Chinese ink paintings create an awareness of what is deemed positive and negative space: spaces that are filled with ink and strokes, and spaces that are left blank as part of the formal definition and not simply empty space. In black and white renderings, this formal balance is highlighted even more. “It takes more skill to execute a black and white painting as strokes are the essence,” Tze Peng shares. “Black and white contrast each other very well. Using black ink on a white background brings out the white,” he adds, “creating a powerful and stark contrast.” In history, white is not simply white pigment: its symbolic gamut runs from actual use of white mineral chalk to emphasise light; to scraping of portions (could be existing ground or applied pigment) away to reveal the ‘white’. This methodical nature of adding and taking away is synonymous with practices in both Chinese ink and Western art. It emphasises the artist’s own hand and vital cadence and movement in defining form on a two dimensional space.

Given that, we look at Tze Peng’s black and white with new eyes, aware of the process of its making as much as its final outcome. Tze Peng is quick to acknowledge his own development as an artist in our modern metropolis, critically evaluating issues in his practice and production as a means to improve, to progress, to refine, to cross new thresholds. “In Singapore,” he says, “people are always exposed to paintings in colour, but not so much of black and white compositions.” The surfeit of the modern world that charges at us with all manner of images and a riot of colour may bend or numb our senses perhaps. The established value of many of Tze Peng’s works derive from a greater appreciation of both the subjects he presents, landscapes and unique perspectives so beautifully rendered and expressively coloured. Yet, Tze Peng is astute to note, “Recently, there is a growing trend in appreciating black and white paintings. To them, a well-executed black and white piece not only accentuates the beauty and simplicity of the subject, but also gives off an elegant and sophisticated feeling.”

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The black and white works of Tze Peng revisit many of his familiar subjects already rendered in colour, images of old Chinatown scenes, shophouses, people, streets and the more rural dimension of kampongs and countryside. He does not repeat these as copies, but instead plays with the idea in his mind, electing to construct details he has both remembered and forgotten. “One should learn from nature and paint the image in one’s mind,” the painter Zhang Zao wrote in the eighth century.6 In a recent exhibition of his Bali paintings7, Tze Peng’s ardent admiration of the splendour of idyllic Bali was what prompted him to visit the island numerous times over several decades, painting on site to draw from his best teacher as he declared, ‘nature’ herself. The discipline of creating composite imageries does not contradict Tze Peng’s assertion that nature is the best teacher. In fact, drawing from his many years of painting on site outdoors, he has earned the privilege to create new work by invoking the richness of his own archive, together with the many ideas and lessons he has earnestly imbibed through travel, books and practice.

Appraising his latest paintings, one cannot deny a sense of freshness that emotes from the black and white. The lines are bold and confident, articulating defined forms such as umbrellas, boats, trees and architecture (buildings, kelongs, bridges). On the other hand, passage and spaces, such as alleys, streets and water, are created from the consecration of black and white shades over white, defining the negative space in rich tonal harmonies. White also alleviates the density, such as the clearly bare umbrella tops, and tarpaulin in some images. The patterns constructed with the line are dynamic and distinct, with the white clearly emphasised. Light and dark modulate the contours of the artwork, investing a vibrancy and energetic spirit that make the scenes come

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alive. Succinct, ambivalent layers of grey induce movement, in the most obvious case, of water surfaces for the river and seaside scenes. In the less obvious cases, it might be the gentle sway of an ever transforming sky, fabric roofs, bobbing boats and even branches and leaves of trees. The exacting details of trees, roofs, figures, boat shapes and buildings for instance, demonstrate his skilled draughtsmanship, still familiar with realistic and natural forms alike. They may be composites from his imagination and memory, but they are articulated with accuracy and balance.

A scene from life can never stand still. Single and collective lines and brushwork contemplate moments, but also highlight the briskness and speed of the painter at work. The vivid detail in his mind’s eye combined with the skilled modulations by Tze Peng in shades of black, white and grey, provides a vigorous familiarity for our memories and our senses. They convey to us that time that we knew and know of, has passed, and life marches on through fortune and consequence. These are real spaces, infused with both memory and currency.

The dominant feature of the black and white works may be the line and form, but we cannot overlook the fundamentals of Chinese ink execution that present so vividly still through Tze Peng’s enterprise. Taking the cue from his practice of calligraphy and the importance of rendering both line and form in many permutations, Tze Peng’s black and white works highlight equally his deftness at the wet and dry brush in dispersing his ink across his paper. The loaded brush describes opaque, almost rich jewel like qualities, while the dry brush executes textures that convey chiaroscuro (light and dark) in the work, modulating fresh forms, while ‘ageing’ them as the same time.

The beauty of this combination asserts the vintage flair of Tze Peng’s renderings, even while the monochromatic hues represent his practice at his most modern and visually agile state. Tze Peng is excited by his own recent endeavours and is keen to maintain his explorations. He describes his process of painting and alludes to the variations he has produced, “I enjoy painting in black and white, as even if there are

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only these two colours, many effects can be produced. For example, when I dilute the ink, I create different effect from when I don’t. When the ink is concentrated, it creates a stronger effect than its diluted version.” He likens the effects that result to the ancient stone rubbings of China that have existed for thousands of years. “It was a thousand years ago but even up till now, I find it so beautiful.

Similar to calligraphy, it appears only in black and white and its beauty lies in the lines carved into the stone.”

Given that, our perspective once again shifts for these black and white works.

Beyond the two dimensional quality that is obvious to any painting, for Tze Peng, the sensations and expressiveness that are critical can be found in the tactile qualities of the sculptural, the incised, the carved, the reliefs of stone and jade even. He is keen to share that some subjects rendered using black and white lend themselves well to monochrome, such as trees. The artist Huang Binhong, Tze Peng shares, was adept at painting landscapes, flora and fauna in mono-

chrome. The mood of the painting, like the size, can also determine how black and white translates onto the surface. To leave out colour draws attention to the ubiquitous, draughtsman’s line and the stark beauty of brushstrokes. At its minimalist best, works in only black and white on any scale, Tze Peng states, can be austere, and dignified: “An artistic intention can be seen through lines and brushstrokes. An artist plays around with different types of lines, and executes them through a variety of brush strokes to create a good piece. With paintings, success can be easily attained through a masterful choice of colours; but stripped off all its colours, what is left behind is still, lines.”

Through the years, Tze Peng has identified himself with his Chinese heritage, and many of his works pay homage to the handling and expressive tendencies that underline the formal composition of any painting. Though equally adept in western oil painting and Chinese ink, the latter has dominated his practice for the greater part of his career. It should be noted that ink painting is far more unforgiving that oil. The flexibility of the oil pigment and its longer drying time allows for editing and manipulation; whereas for ink, any mistakes or irregularities are easily identifiable and cannot be rectified. I have asked Tze Peng, who has easily created more than a thousand artworks on paper that are documented, if he has been known to destroy works as is the custom of ink painters who deem with immediate attention, the work produced is flawed. His response is an unequivocal assent, fully cognizant of the literati tradition he assiduously follows with pride and humility at the same time.

Additionally, in ink painting itself, where colour is employed, it is possible, Tze Peng shares, to cover up mistakes or missteps by applying colour to ‘round’ up the forms.

However, this is not possible with the starkness of black and white. If destruction of flawed artworks is not uncommon, Tze Peng is still mindful of the diligence in his practice that yields his finer work. “I only do my black and white pieces at home,” he says, “when I am mentally and physically alert.”

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Alongside his paintings, Tze Peng has continued to pursue his calligraphic practice.

He admits that age has altered the pace and characteristics of his production. He resolves to paint everyday, even if it is simply to write his calligraphy. Even those works do not follow a straightforward method that is predictable or automatic. “The highest aesthetic in Chinese art is still calligraphy, not ink paintings.” Tze Peng asserts. “Lines form the basis of all calligraphic works and paintings.” Yet even with his calligraphy, we note the same firm basis for the foundation of his expression. He may write in many known genres of clerical script, even seal script and grass (cursive) script, articulating and quoting famous colophons and poems of the different dynastic eras. But his compositional and textural play still emotes with a compelling force. In his range there are pieces that resemble the ancient stone rubbings he has spoken so highly of, and these are a variation of either writing in both ink and white pigments to shadow the script forms, or ‘writing’ the negative space and then colouring in the positives, to result in the words appearing as intaglio carved scripts onto a surface that has printed onto the paper. Make no mistake, these works are the result of writing by hand, and not printing by stone blocks. The gestures found in his calligraphy of this style demonstrate the fullness of handmade markings, creating a rough, almost primitive simplicity that Tze Peng confides he himself so enjoys and appreciates. Further, in exploring his many calligraphic renderings, one becomes aware of his agility in transforming the practice into a hybrid of new form that present abstraction and a contemporary vibe. Words written in the cursive grass script style are written over, condensed and with the deft generosity of wet and dry brush once again, come together like an ancient yet visibly contemporary allure of kaleidoscopic life. This marvelous spectrum achieved, despite the lone use of black ink on a white space.

“To me,” Tze Peng confesses, “black and white paintings are much harder to execute than coloured ones. A well-executed black and white painting can give people a sense of primitive simplicity with bold and vigorous strokes.” 90 years young, Tze Peng can still lay claim to his irrepressible zest for life and the marked passion with which he has pursued his lfie’s art. After decades of practice and studied revisions, travels, explorations and worldly experiences, his paintings rightfully draw on his known repertoire that continues to yield ever new and fresh takes on what he considers his discipline of making art using Chinese ink. On occasion, this has translated a venture toward oils, but none have matched the vigour, the empowered skills and enthusiasm evident when one stands before his ink paintings. He is candid about how he paints of late, in experimentation and studied practice. He measures his work against standards he still sets for himself. Though not entirely unaware of public and general opinion, Tze Peng is resolute about what he has achieved, and how much more he can achieve. The black and white works are no doubt a conscious endeavour to return to the roots of his discipline, and ensure his fundamental skills continue to reach levels of refinement through practice. Ultimately, he is humble about and humbled by his success and asserts, “To me, drawing is about the heart of the object, not only the superficial and the external.”

In history, Tang writers of the era have consensus on the “enormous reputation” of the artist Zhang Zao, considered the most accomplished scholar-painter of his time.

Tang writer Fu Zai details this episode that was recorded in history: “Right in the middle of the room he sat down…..took a deep breath, and his inspi-

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ration began to issue forth…. Dividing and drawing together, suddenly strange shapes were born. When he had finished, there stood pine trees…crags steep and precipitous… clear water and turbulent clouds. He threw down his brush, got up, and looked around in every direction. It seemed as if the sky had cleared after a storm, to reveal the true essence of a thousand things.”8 Tze Peng in black and white allows us to appreciate that the artist’s practice has come full circle, embodying in its richness, both the historical depth and the contemporary relevance of his painterly art. Somewhere amid the infinite possibilities of black, the white and the greys, are revealed indeed, the true essence of a thousand things.

by Bridget Tracy Tan MA (Hons) History of Art Director, (Institute of Southeast Asian Arts) Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore

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Black and White Shop House Black and white ink on paper 198 x 240 cm

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Black and White Shop House Black and white ink on paper 200 x 240 cm

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Boats at River Quay Chinese ink on paper 198 x 229 cm

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Blacksmith Shop Chinese ink on paper 198 x 228 cm

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Shop House Ink and Color on Rice Paper 198 x 228 cm

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Chinatown Scenes Chinese ink on paper 198 x 229 cm

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Chinatown Series Chinese ink on paper 160 x 183 cm

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Singapore River Chinese ink on paper 120 x 245 cm

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Chinatown Scenes Chinese ink on paper 100 x 105cm

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Chinatown Scenes Chinese ink on paper 100 x 105cm

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A Busy Day at China Town Ink on paper, 164 x 187 cm

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Old Singapore Scene Black and white ink on paper 150 x 230 cm

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Chinatown Scenes Ink on paper, 164 x 187 cm

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Old Street Landscape Ink on Paper, 165 x 228 cm

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Street Hawkers Chinese ink on paper 100 x 100cm

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Sidewalk Cafe Chinese ink on paper 100 x 105cm

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Singapore River Chinese ink on paper 70 x 140 cm

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Chinatown Scene Chinese ink on paper 100 x 105cm

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Back Alley Chinese ink on paper 100 x 100cm

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Old Singapore Scene Chinese ink on paper 69 x 69cm

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Chinatown Scene No. 2 Chinese ink on paper 100 x 100cm

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Bustling Streets of China Town Ink on Paper 200 x 235 cm

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Singapore River Scenes VIII Ink on Paper 145 x 370 cm

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Singapore River (4 boats) Chinese ink on paper 133 x 266 cm

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Singapore River V Chinese ink on paper 140 x 365 cm

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Red Tree Chinese ink on paper 142 x 180 cm

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Tree Chinese ink on paper 142 x 179 cm

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Untitled Ink and Color on Paper 100 x 100 cm

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Singapore River Ink and Color on paper 202 x 240 cm

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City Hall Ink and Color on Paper 103 x 98 cm

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Hoi Kee Moon Cake Shop Ink and Color on paper 103 x 98 cm

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Rooted Ink on Paper 100 x 105 cm

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Eager Expectations Ink on Paper 100 x 105 cm

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Trees Chinese ink on paper 100 x 105 cm

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Fisherman’s cove Chinese ink on paper 150 x 60 cm

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Da Jiang Dong Qu Chinese ink on paper 142 x 183 cm

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Man Jiang Hong (Yue Fei) Chinese ink on paper 190 x 230 cm

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Man Jiang Hong (Yue Fie) Chinese ink on paper 145 x 278 cm

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Autumn Morning- Xu Hun Chinese ink on paper 45 x 365 cm

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Calligraphy Series Chinese ink on paper 297 x 235 cm

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Autumn Morning- Xu Hun Chinese ink on paper 200 x 235 cm

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Autumn Morning- Xu Hun Chinese ink on paper 200 x 235 cm

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Man Jiang Hong (Yue Fei), Chinese ink on paper 200 x 235 cm

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Man Jiang Hong (Yue Fei) Chinese ink on paper 200 x 235 cm

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Autumn, Climbi Mountain and St Zhang

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ing Orchid taying with

Autumn, Climbing Orchid Mountain and Staying with Zhang - Meng Haoran Chinese ink on paper 185 x 235 cm

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Man Jiang Hong (Yue Fei) Chinese ink on paper 165 x 190 cm

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Tang Shi II Chinese ink on paper 100 x 105cm

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Autumn Snow Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Autumn Snow Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Autumn Snow Ink on Rice Paper 180 x 97 cm

Autumn Snow Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Joyful of Heart Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 100 x 100 cm

Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 100 x 100 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 100 x 100 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 105 x 104 cm

Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 103 x 98 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 104 x 104 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 100 x 143 cm

Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 100 x 143 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 106 x 100 cm

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Autumn Morning- Xu Hun Ink on Rice Paper 104 x 104 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 103 x 103 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 180 x 97 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 180 x 97 cm

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Calligraphy Series Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Acension Ink on Rice Paper 140 x 70 cm

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Resting By The Maple Bridge- Zhang Ji (Tang), Ink on Paper 106 x 100 cm

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BIOGRAPHY Lim Tze Peng born in 1921 first established his art practice in the early 1950s with a series of oil paintings on Chinese landscapes. He is best known for the significant number of Chinese ink drawings and paintings of Chinatown and the Singapore River he produced during the early 1980s. Having a solid foundation in Chinese philosophy, art and culture, Lim Tze Peng also practised Chinese calligraphy, especially in the 1990s.

In 2009, Lim Tze Peng was invited to hold his solo exhibition in the prestigious Beijing and Shanghai Art Museum.

Even though Lim was born and educated in Singapore, his diligent studies and daily dedication to practising his craft enabled him to excel in the Chinese ink. His new ink works are deeply rooted in tradition, yet they have a palpably contemporary feel, and can be enjoyed by all.

Lim Tze Peng shows that Singapore’s multi-cultural environment may provide a context in which artists can respond to a variety of influences without being affected by defensive form of traditionalism or a superficial form of cosmopolitanism.

Lim Tze Peng’s creative impulses for his new works is clear; “I see and I paint, now it’s I reflect and I paint”. His latest series of calligraphic works reveal a new level of artistic maturity their raw energy reflect an aggressive swiftness and decisive ferocity, injecting the calligraphy with an invigorating tension.

Accomplis h m e n ts Lim Tze Peng participated actively in artist field trips around the Southeast Asian region in the 1960s. From the 1970s onwards, he has participated in several exhibitions - solo and group. His first solo exhibition was in 1970. Since then, he has exhibited his works widely in Singapore and abroad. He held three solo exhibitions in the 1990s and has participated in more than 20 group exhibitions to date. In the last four years, significant donations of his works have entered the Singapore Art Museum and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts through the artist and his collectors. For his contributions to art, Lim Tze Peng has received several awards including the highly respected Cultural Medallion in 2003.

E ar ly LIf e Lim Tze Peng was educated at Chung Cheng High School. Upon graduation, he became a teacher in Xin Min School in 1949. In 1951, he became principal of the school where he remained until 1981.

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S olo e x h i b i t ion s 2014

ArtStage, Singapore, ODE TO ART

2012

Lim Tze Peng: Black and White, Ode to Art Gallery, Singapore Tze Peng in Bali, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore

2010

My Kampong, My Home, Singapore Management University Gallery, Singapore Inroads: The Ink Journey of Lim Tze Peng, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China Lim Tze Peng Solo Exhibition, Ode to Art Gallery, Singapore Inroads: The Ink Journey of Lim Tze Peng, Liu Haisu Art Museum, Shanghai, China

2008

Inaugural Exhibition, NTU Art and Heritage Gallery, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Inroads: Lim Tze Peng’s New Ink Work, Art Retreat Museum, Singapore

2007

Lim Tze Peng: Singapore River Memory, Cape of Good Hope Gallery, Singapore

2006

Tze Peng in Paris, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore Infinite Gestures-Recent Paintings by Lim Tze Peng, Singapore Tyler Print Institute,Singapore

2003

Tze Peng,Singapore Art Museum, Singapore

1998

Meeting Places in Fleeting Spaces, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore

1995

Moments by Lim Tze Peng, Takashimaya Gallery, Singapore

1991

2nd Solo Exhibition, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore

1970

1st Solo Exhibition, Singapore

G ro up e x h i b i t ion s 2005

The Society of Chinese Artists 70th Anniversary Commemorative Exhibition, Singapore

2004

Crossroads: Collected Works of Second-Generation Artists, NUS Museum, Singapore

2000

65th Anniversary Exhibition of The Society of Chinese Artists, Singapore

1999

Singapore Art Society 50th Anniversary Exhibition, Singapore

1993

CAP III Inkscape, Singapore Artists Directory Exhibition, Empress Place Museum,Singapore

1991

International Chinese Calligraphy Exhibition, Beijing, China

1989

New York Art Expo 89, New York, USA 1st Bru-Sin Art Exhibition 89, National Museum Art Gallery, Brunei

1988

Salon des Artists Francais, Grand Palais, Paris, France NAFA Lecturers Art Exhibition 88, Singapore

1986

ASEAN Art Exhibition, various ASEAN countries

1982

Seventh International Artists Art Exhibition, Taiwan

1980

Fifth Festival of Asian Art, Hong Kong

1978

Singapore Artists Group Exhibition, Moscow, Russia

1977

Royal Overseas League Exhibition, England

Awar d s 2003

Cultural Medallion Award, Singapore

1981

National Day Award (PBM), Singapore

1977

Special Prize,Commonwealth Art Exhibition, England

1963

National Day Award (PPA), Singapore

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Lim Tze Peng in his studio

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Li m T ze Peng L arger than life First published 2014 on the occasion of Lim Tze Peng’s Larger Than Life Exhibition Held 15 - 19 Jan 2014, at Art Stage Singapore Ode To Art Raffles City 252 North Bridge Road, Raffles City Shopping Centre, #01-36E/F, Singapore 179103 T +65 6250 1901 F +65 6250 5354 Ode To Art Kuala Lumpur 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, The Pavilion, #06-24E/F, Kuala Lumpur 55100, Malaysia Tel: +603 2148 9816 Fax: +603 2142 6816 info@odetoart.com odetoart.com Š Ode To Art 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Measurements of artworks are given in centimeters Printed and bound in Singapore

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