IMG_83154 (Abstract Roots )

This dynamic composition from Lim Tze Peng’s late period exemplifies the artist’s mastery in transforming calligraphy, abstraction, and nature into a single, expressive visual language. Painted in 2014, when the artist was in his nineties, Abstract Roots encapsulates the culmination of his lifelong exploration of energy, rhythm, and spiritual vitality through brush and ink.

The painting evokes the intertwining roots of ancient trees — a recurring motif in Lim’s later works — symbolizing life’s interconnectedness, resilience, and continuity. Through powerful, sweeping strokes in black ink, overlaid with earthy tones of ochre, sienna, and forest green, Lim constructs a composition that is both organic and abstract. The interlacing lines pulse with movement, mirroring the vitality of calligraphic writing while transcending literal representation.

This piece reveals the artist’s evolution from depicting the physical world of kampongs and rivers to expressing the internal essence of nature — a meditative realm where emotion, memory, and spirit converge. The raw energy in the brushwork, coupled with his confident control of ink flow, reflects the artist’s deep understanding of qi yun sheng dong(spirit resonance). For collectors, this work is a profound example of Lim Tze Peng’s late creative maturity — a synthesis of modern abstraction and traditional Chinese ink philosophy, achieved by one of Singapore’s most revered cultural masters.