Lim Tze Peng | To See a Thousand Miles, Go Up One More Storey

Courtesy of Mr Tee Beng Huat

Lim Tze Peng is a Singaporean artist celebrated for his innovation in ink painting and calligraphy. Self-taught, Lim started painting in the 1950s when he was a teacher in Xin Min School. His strong foundation in Chinese philosophy, art and culture comes through in paintings that are deeply rooted in tradition. In 2003, Lim received the Cultural Medallion, the highest accolade awarded in recognition of his contribution to visual art. He presented solo exhibitions at venues such as National Gallery Singapore, National Art Museum of China, Saatchi Gallery in London, and Singapore Art Museum.

The words in this piece of calligraphy come from a famous poem titled 《登鹳雀楼》 (Climbing White Crane Tower), written by Wang Zhihuan (王之涣), a poet from the Tang Dynasty. This poem describes the expansive views of distant mountains, ocean currents and the Yellow River, that is afforded by climbing to a greater height. It speaks to the Confucian virtues of hard work and self-improvement.