Lim Nang Seng

Lim was born in 1917 in Kuching, Sarawak.[1] Lim originally worked as a schoolteacher.[2] Sculpting initially began as a hobby of his, which he later turned into his career.[3] In 1967, Lim held the first sculpture show in Singapore with five other sculptors, and designed the 1967 Singapore coin collection.[1] Prior to 1971, he had spent two weeks in a carpark along Orchard Road sculpting Dancing Girl, a sculpture, which was then installed at the Seng Poh Garden in Tiong Bahru.[3][4] The sculpture received mixed reception from the local residents, as some thought it was too abstract or too closely resembled a swan. However, Lim was not upset by this, as he believed that swans were prosperous animals.[5] In 1970, he won three prizes in a handicraft and design exhibition.[6] In 1971, Lim began hosting sculpting lessons, teaching women how to sculpt.[7]

In 1971, Lim was selected to sculpt the Merlion statue in the Merlion Park along the Singapore River.[1][8] Work on the sculpture began on November 1971 and ended in August 1972, and involved all eight of his children.[9] In 1975, Lim was among several local artists whose work was presented in China by S. Rajaratnam.[10]

However, Lim did not want his children to follow in his footsteps, as he did not earn much money from sculpting.[11]

On 17 November 1987, during the Merlion Week, while working on clay figurines, Lim fainted and was admitted into the Singapore General Hospital.[1][12] At the hospital, Lim underwent surgery, which was unsuccessful, and died at 5.55pm.[3][13]