Lim Hak Tai

Lim was born on 28 May 1893 in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China.[2] Lim left Xiamen in 1913 to study at Fuzhou, Fujian and graduated from the Fujian Provincial Teachers’ Training College in 1916.[2]

After graduation, Lim returned to Xiamen and taught at various schools.[2] In 1923, Lim co-founded the Xiamen Academy of Fine Arts with two other artists.[2]

Lim came to Singapore at the outbreak of Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, and taught art at The Chinese High School and Nan Chiau Girls High School for a year. In 1938, Lim and other artists founded Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts[3] and he was appointed as its principal[1]

Lim was a dedicated art educator and an accomplished painter in Singapore, and have taught many art students - some on to becoming accomplished Singaporean artists. He was also the first to articulate the notion of a 'Nanyang style' art that involved local and South-east Asian tropical representations using Western painting techniques. As such, Lim persuaded his peers Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Wen Hsi, Chen Chong Swee and Liu Kang to seek inspiration from their Balinese excursion in 1952, developing what is known today as the Nanyang School of Painting.[4]

Lim was conferred with the Sijil Kemuliaan (Certificate of Honour) for his outstanding achievements for the Academy, and the society on 3 June 1962.[5] He was the first artist to be conferred the award by the Singapore Government. Lim died on 14 February 1963 due to lung cancer.[6]

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  Lim Hak Tai painting
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  Singapore Art Museum
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  Lim Hak Tai painting follower
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  Lim Hak Tai calligraphy

• Chen Chong Swee
• Cheong Soo Pieng
• Liu Kang
• Georgette Chen

• History of Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
• NAFA Alumni Association
• Pameran retrospektif pelukis-pelukis Nanyang : Muzium Seni Negara Malaysia 26hb. Okt. - 23hb. Dis. 1979 (Nanyang artists retrospective exhibition : National Arts Museum of Malaysia 26 October - 23 December 1979) (art catalogue)