Singapore’s oldest artist and national treasure Lim Tze Peng dies at 103

Singapore’s oldest living artist Lim Tze Peng, best known for his Chinese ink scenes of old Chinatown and the Singapore River, as well as his distinct calligraphic idiom termed “muddled writing”, has died at 103.

According to a report in Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao, he died on Feb 3 at 6pm. His eldest son, Mr Lim Su Kok, told Zaobao that his father was hospitalised for pneumonia in January.

Lim is the subject of a major ongoing solo exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore (NGS), along with at least three recently concluded exhibitions in private galleries.

Ms Jazz Chong – owner of Ode To Art gallery, which has represented Lim for 17 years – said: “He is like a grandfather to me, one of the most compassionate and inspiring people in my life. His dedication to his art was unwavering, and even in his final months, it was a joy to see him still painting happily.”

Gallerist Goh Chee Keong, who ran a solo exhibition by Lim titled Elan at Confluence Art Space until January, said Lim’s death was “a significant loss to our art scene”.

He recalled how Lim encouraged him as a teenager when he showed the older artist some of his calligraphy work. Although Mr Goh deemed his work “rough around the edges”, Lim sat patiently with him, talking about brush strokes and styles and sharing stories.

Dr Eugene Tan, chief executive and director of NGS, said the gallery was deeply saddened by the passing of “a visionary whose unwavering dedication to his craft and passion for Singapore’s heritage have shaped generations of artists and art lovers”.

He added: “His vision and passion will live on, inspiring generations to come.”

 

In one of the last interviews the centenarian gave in October 2024, a visibly ebullient Lim told The Straits Times that he was actively painting every day. “Because of art, I am rarely ill,” he said.

Mr Ong Teng Huat, ArtSafe gallery’s managing director, who has collected more than 100 works by Lim, said he was deeply saddened by news of the artist’s death. “Mr Lim once told me ‘cho lang ai ho’ (‘be a good person’ in Hokkien). I will forever treasure his guidance and kindness over our 32 years of friendship.”

Dubbed Singapore’s national treasure and a cultural titan, Lim estimated that he had made more than 20,000 works of art over his lifetime.

The eldest of seven children, he was born in Singapore in 1921 to a rubber planter father and a housewife mother and grew up in a kampung in Pasir Ris. From a young age, he practised Chinese ink daily – studying under the likes of artists Liu Kang and Yeh Chi Wei – but received belated recognition in the form of his first solo exhibition only in 1970.

For much of his life, Lim painted on the side while he was a full-time educator, teaching at the now-defunct Sin Min School in 1949 and serving as its principal from 1951 to 1981. After retirement, he fulfilled his dream of being a full-time artist and was eventually conferred the Cultural Medallion in 2003.

 

The pioneering artist was the first Singaporean to have a solo exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in 2009 and in 2012 became the first living Singaporean artist to have a work sold for more than $100,000 at an auction.

Counted among his prominent patrons is pioneer architect Koh Seow Chuan, who donated 150 of Lim’s works to the Singapore Art Museum in 2003.

Then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke of the Cultural Medallion recipient’s contribution to Singapore culture at the launch of Lim’s biography Soul Of Ink in 2021: “Mr Lim has inspired new generations of local artists, each with their own unique styles, but all distinctively Singaporean. Piece by piece, each new artwork contributes to our collective identity, our sense of national identity and pride.”

Tributes from leaders also poured in online.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam wrote on Facebook: “Lim Tze Peng was convinced that the arts will raise the quality of life and people’s spirits. We should honour that conviction.”

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that “Singapore has lost one of its most significant artists”, adding that the artist’s contributions to the cultural landscape were “immeasurable”.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong both encouraged the public to visit Lim’s exhibition at NGS, which closes on March 23.

The wake will be held at The Garden of Remembrance at 20 Old Choa Chu Kang Road on Feb 4 and 5. The funeral will be held on Feb 6. Lim is survived by his wife, Madam Soh Siew Lay, 98, their six children and many grandchildren.