IMG_83386 (Energies of Existence)

Energies of Existence exemplifies Lim Tze Peng’s late-period abstraction — a powerful synthesis of movement, form, and emotion that blurs the boundaries between painting and calligraphy. This work captures the artist’s continual search for vitality (qi yun sheng dong), where every brushstroke becomes a conduit for rhythm, energy, and the eternal flow of life.

The composition radiates an earthy warmth through its golden-brown and olive tones, layered with dynamic black ink lines and touches of ochre, yellow, and muted white. These colors emerge and recede, evoking the organic pulse of nature — a metaphor for growth, decay, and regeneration. The dense network of lines swirls with a calligraphic energy, resembling fragments of ancient script or the pulse of music frozen in motion.

Despite its abstraction, the painting carries a deep sense of structure and balance. Lim’s brushwork, vigorous yet meditative, transforms ink into pure emotion. His mastery lies in the tension between chaos and order, movement and stillness — a visual embodiment of the Taoist notion of harmony within opposites. The subtle luminosity that emanates from the painting’s core speaks of life’s cyclical essence and spiritual continuity.

For collectors, Energies of Existence represents Lim Tze Peng’s transcendence beyond the literal and his arrival at a universal visual language. It is a deeply philosophical work — at once timeless and contemporary — encapsulating the spirit of an artist whose century-long practice continues to redefine the expressive possibilities of ink.