Renowned calligrapher and painter Lin Ziping, a recipient of China‘s prestigious Cultural Award, passed away on February 3 at the age of 103. Lin Shuguo, the eldest son of Lin Ziping, revealed in an interview (via the Chinese outlet Zaobao) that his father succumbed to pneumonia after a hospitalization a month ago.
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Lin Ziping, originally named Lin Shuilian, was born on September 28, 1921, in Liampung, Thambinni. A graduate of Zhongzheng Middle School, he dedicated 30 years of his life as the principal of Xinmin Primary School before transitioning to a full-time career as a painter in 1981.
The artist produced well over 20,000 works over his lifetime. Most of these, around 70%, were calligraphy and ink paintings, but he also created sketches and oil paintings.
Lin Ziping created 22,000 paintings in his lifetime, with rich content and a wide range. He used different painting techniques to present the world he saw one by one. There are colorful oil paintings, fine brush paintings with delicate brushstrokes, and majestic ink paintings,… pic.twitter.com/dMcRvny3Mh
— Unicorn (@Adoramma) October 27, 2024
Since 1970, Lin Ziping has showcased his art through numerous solo exhibitions, including those hosted by the prestigious National Art Museum.
A major Exhibit Features Lin Ziping’s Art Through March
Currently, the National Gallery of Singapore is featuring a solo exhibition titled “Lin Ziping: I Paint So I Am,” running until March 23. This exhibition highlights over 50 of his works, spanning more than 70 years of artistic dedication. To date, the nation holds a collection of 299 of Lin Ziping’s pieces. Additionally, Lin generously donated over 100 artworks to his alma mater, Zhongzheng Middle School, which established the “Lin Ziping Art Museum” in his honor in 2014.
In 2009, Ziping’s works were showcased in Beijing and Shanghai, highlighting how early 20th-century Chinese calligraphy education in Singapore influenced artistic creativity.
Lin Ziping is a member of the Ten Painting Association. Since 1960, he has toured Southeast Asia with the group. In 2000, he became an artist at the Nanyang Academy of Arts in Paris. In 2023, at the age of 95, he held his first solo exhibition in the West at the Saatchi Art Gallery in London.
He received the Cultural Medal, Singapore’s highest art honor, at age 82. He also picked up the Singapore Merit Medal at age 95.