A pioneer artist's 'new style' of calligraphy

EVERYONE knows that "practice makes perfect", but for Singaporean pioneer artist Lim Tze Peng, it's been his way of life since he started painting 70 years ago. Even today, he feels an urge to improve his skills, and makes it a point to practise his calligraphy almost daily.

"I always tell my friends that despite having practised art for so long, I don't think I'm that good yet, and that even in another 100 years, I'll still be endeavouring hard to get better at my art," says Lim, who won the Cultural Medallion in 2003 and is known for his Chinese ink paintings of nostalgic cultural landscapes of Singapore.

Just five years ago, the 93-year-old's drive for self-improvement led to him devising a new series of calligraphic works, that ties together the world of painting and traditional calligraphy. Thirty of these new artworks are on display at Artcommune gallery this weekend, in an exhibition titled Tze Peng: Songs from the Heart.