LOT 47
LIM CHENG HOE
B. China, 1912 – 1979
Village in the Forest, Singapore, 1972
Watercolour on paper
37 x 50 cm
Private Collection, Singapore
Signed “CH Lim” on lower right
RM 12,000 – 25,000
A pioneer of Singapore’s watercolour movement, China born Lim Cheng Hoe was renowned for capturing the unique light and shifting landscapesof his adopted home. His mastery is beautifully displayed in his 1972 work, Village in the Forest, Singapore, painted at a time when the nation’straditional rural enclaves were beginning to vanish due to rapid urbanization.
Avoiding rigid lines, Lim uses fluid, translucent washes and a spontaneous touch to depict a serene kampung nestled within dense tropical foliage. He expertly allows the watercolour to mimic filtering sunlight, capturing the humid, sun drenched atmosphere of the equatorial climate. By balancing the organic textures of the forest with the simple, weathered village dwellings, Village in the Forest, Singapore stands as both an invaluable historical record and a poetic, nostalgic tribute to a gentler era.