Lim Cheng Hoe
Encyclopedia
Lim Cheng Hoe was a watercolourist recognized as one of the key pioneer artists in Singapore, along with his peers like Cheong Soo Pieng
and Chen Chong Swee
. He was credited for the amalgamation of interest in watercolour art in the local art scene and in turn, the founding of the Singapore Watercolour Society. He also was a contrast from other pioneer artists schooled in mainstream Chinese art aesthetic culture, by being a product of Western art education and a primarily self-taught artist.
Born in 1912, Lim's family moved to Singapore
from Amoy
when he was 7. As a boy, Lim loved to draw, and would continue to explore and experiment with his pencil day in day out. In 1928, he attended school at the Raffles Institution
where he found first love with watercolour art, and received art instruction from Richard Walker, his school art teacher and the first Art Inspector of Schools in Singapore. On September 13, 1930, the 18-year old submitted his artwork in the Design and Painting class in school, and was awarded First Prize in October 1930. After completing his Senior Cambridge Overseas School Certificate at end-1930, Lim went to China on a three-week vacation. In 1932 he passed the Junior London Chamber of Commerce Examination, and soon gained employment as a clerk at the Royal Naval Wireless Station in Kranji
. He also continued to receive art instruction at Walker's Saturday art classes for the next three years. In 1936, Lim was employed as Chief Clerk at the Public Utilities Board
, and got married in 1952 at the age of 30. He continued to work with the Board until his retirement in 1966.
Throughout his active years Lim was a Sunday painter, painting outdoors at various locations in Singapore during weekends and with any spare time he could afford in between work and family life. But he was much more into serious painting, than just painting for leisure. By the time he started his working life at the Utilities Board, Lim stopped attending art classes by Richard Walker. Instead, he continued to experiment and explored new ways to express his art through watercolour. He was a severe critic of his own work, seldom satisfied with the quality of work he produced, and emphasized greatly on accuracy in his observation and draughtsmanship. In fact, it was important to Lim to paint directly from his subjects, and often take time to look around and compose them before selecting for the right pose / position to paint. This also applies to plein-air paintings with his friends, even if it meant for him to paint under the blazing sun. Lim also read widely and acquired books on art history, criticism and techniques. He also was a subscriber to an arts magazine titled The Artist: The Magazine For Artists, Instruction and Review which was indispensable to feeding his voracious appetite for knowledge in art. Yet he never felt he studied enough, or mastered the watercolour medium sufficiently. This self-discipline and endless pursuit in artistic excellence thus gained him the reputation as an outstanding Singaporean artist. Lim was a good-natured man with laughter following their painting group wherever they went. He was also generous man who often shared his knowledge, and the publications he acquired with his circle of artist friends.
He was never far from his wanderlust personality that he had developed from his schooldays. Lim had good physical health, and a deep passion for natural landscapes. In his weekends and whatever free time available with his friends, he would meet up with them on painting excursions in either T. Y. Choy's car, or in G. K. Tan's old Ford to search for sceneries to paint. On occasions, he would go on painting expeditions starting from Kampong Penjuru (current site of Eusoff Hall of the National University of Singapore
), travelling up to Loyang area, and ending his day by the Singapore River
. These trips enabled him to continuously revisit these inspiring landscapes and rediscover his art. Thoma Yeo remembered joining the Singapore River artists - as they have come to be known later in history - in 1957 when he was a young aspiring artist. As with every other Sundays Yeo would meet the group at the Red House along Bras Basah Road
and the members would decide where they would go to paint. The Singapore River thus then became their favourite haunt to paint at, especially when the group cannot decide where else to paint at. Between 1958 and 1971 Lim, and the other Singapore River artists took their plein air
painting excursions to various parts of Malaysia, especially to the state of Johor
.
Lim died of stomach cancer
in Changi General Hospital
on September 3, 1979, after a six-year battle.
Cheong Soo Pieng
Cheong Soo Pieng was a Singaporean artist who was a pioneer of the Nanyang art style, and a driving force to the development of Modernism in visual art in the early 20th-century Singapore...
and Chen Chong Swee
Chen Chong Swee
Chen Chong Swee is a Singaporean watercolourist belonging to the pioneer generation of artists espousing the Nanyang-styled painting unique to Singapore, at the turn of the 20th century...
. He was credited for the amalgamation of interest in watercolour art in the local art scene and in turn, the founding of the Singapore Watercolour Society. He also was a contrast from other pioneer artists schooled in mainstream Chinese art aesthetic culture, by being a product of Western art education and a primarily self-taught artist.
Born in 1912, Lim's family moved to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
from Amoy
Amoy
Xiamen, or Amoy, is a city on the southeast coast of China.Amoy may also refer to:*Amoy dialect, a dialect of the Hokkien lects, which are part of the Southern Min group of Chinese languages...
when he was 7. As a boy, Lim loved to draw, and would continue to explore and experiment with his pencil day in day out. In 1928, he attended school at the Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution , founded in 1823, is the oldest centre for pre-tertiary learning in Singapore. It is an independent school in Singapore providing secondary and pre-university education. RI consists of a boys-only secondary section , and a coeducational pre-university section...
where he found first love with watercolour art, and received art instruction from Richard Walker, his school art teacher and the first Art Inspector of Schools in Singapore. On September 13, 1930, the 18-year old submitted his artwork in the Design and Painting class in school, and was awarded First Prize in October 1930. After completing his Senior Cambridge Overseas School Certificate at end-1930, Lim went to China on a three-week vacation. In 1932 he passed the Junior London Chamber of Commerce Examination, and soon gained employment as a clerk at the Royal Naval Wireless Station in Kranji
Kranji
Kranji is a suburb in northwestern Singapore, located about from the city centre.-Etymology:Kranji is named after a local tree, the kranji or keranji . Its abundance has rapidly dwindled since the first half of the nineteenth century.-History:The first Singapore-Kranji railway from Tank Road to...
. He also continued to receive art instruction at Walker's Saturday art classes for the next three years. In 1936, Lim was employed as Chief Clerk at the Public Utilities Board
Public Utilities Board
The Public Utilities Board is a statutory board of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources under the Government of Singapore....
, and got married in 1952 at the age of 30. He continued to work with the Board until his retirement in 1966.
Throughout his active years Lim was a Sunday painter, painting outdoors at various locations in Singapore during weekends and with any spare time he could afford in between work and family life. But he was much more into serious painting, than just painting for leisure. By the time he started his working life at the Utilities Board, Lim stopped attending art classes by Richard Walker. Instead, he continued to experiment and explored new ways to express his art through watercolour. He was a severe critic of his own work, seldom satisfied with the quality of work he produced, and emphasized greatly on accuracy in his observation and draughtsmanship. In fact, it was important to Lim to paint directly from his subjects, and often take time to look around and compose them before selecting for the right pose / position to paint. This also applies to plein-air paintings with his friends, even if it meant for him to paint under the blazing sun. Lim also read widely and acquired books on art history, criticism and techniques. He also was a subscriber to an arts magazine titled The Artist: The Magazine For Artists, Instruction and Review which was indispensable to feeding his voracious appetite for knowledge in art. Yet he never felt he studied enough, or mastered the watercolour medium sufficiently. This self-discipline and endless pursuit in artistic excellence thus gained him the reputation as an outstanding Singaporean artist. Lim was a good-natured man with laughter following their painting group wherever they went. He was also generous man who often shared his knowledge, and the publications he acquired with his circle of artist friends.
He was never far from his wanderlust personality that he had developed from his schooldays. Lim had good physical health, and a deep passion for natural landscapes. In his weekends and whatever free time available with his friends, he would meet up with them on painting excursions in either T. Y. Choy's car, or in G. K. Tan's old Ford to search for sceneries to paint. On occasions, he would go on painting expeditions starting from Kampong Penjuru (current site of Eusoff Hall of the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
), travelling up to Loyang area, and ending his day by the Singapore River
Singapore River
The Singapore River is a river in Singapore with great historical importance. The Singapore River flows from the Central Area, which lies in the Central Region in the southern part of Singapore before emptying into the ocean...
. These trips enabled him to continuously revisit these inspiring landscapes and rediscover his art. Thoma Yeo remembered joining the Singapore River artists - as they have come to be known later in history - in 1957 when he was a young aspiring artist. As with every other Sundays Yeo would meet the group at the Red House along Bras Basah Road
Bras Basah Road
Bras Basah Road is a one-way road in Singapore in the planning areas of Museum and Downtown Core. The road starts at the junction of Orchard Road and Handy Road, at the ERP gantry towards the Central Business District, and ends at the junction of Nicoll Highway and Raffles Boulevard which then...
and the members would decide where they would go to paint. The Singapore River thus then became their favourite haunt to paint at, especially when the group cannot decide where else to paint at. Between 1958 and 1971 Lim, and the other Singapore River artists took their plein air
En plein air
En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors.Artists have long painted outdoors, but in the mid-19th century working in natural light became particularly important to the Barbizon school and Impressionism...
painting excursions to various parts of Malaysia, especially to the state of Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
.
Lim died of stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
in Changi General Hospital
Changi General Hospital
Changi General Hospital is a 790-bed hospital located in Simei, eastern Singapore...
on September 3, 1979, after a six-year battle.
Major exhibitions
| Dates | Title | Location |
|---|---|---|
| March 5 - March 30, 1986 |
The Lim Cheng Hoe Retrospective (Post-humous exhibition) |
National Museum National Museum of Singapore The National Museum of Singapore is a national museum in Singapore and the oldest museum in Singapore. Its history dates back to 1849 when it was started as a section of a library at Singapore Institution... Art Gallery Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |
| August 4 - August 7, 1988 |
Works of the late Lim Cheng Hoe (Post-humous exhibition) |
Orchard Point Exhibition Hall Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |