Lim Mu Hue

林木化（1936-2008）
不是有刀，而是有爱。新加坡版画大师林木化凭着一把刻刀一支画笔，以多才多艺的创意，在艺术界结出累累果实，作品享誉新马及海外。就读南洋美专的他，靠自己摸索观察四周人物，景物，选择当时没有人要的的题材，成为他自学版画画作的主题，就此开启了一代版画的大师艺术之路，他的木刻版画有着浓浓的南洋风土民情。除了木刻版画，他还涉猎油画，水彩画，中国水墨画等，作品无数。

Mr Lim Mu Hue, with ancestry from Jieyang, Guangdong, was born in Singapore in 1936. He graduated from the faculty of Western Arts at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1955. He later returned to teach at his alma mater and was a mentor to many younger generations of artists. He was once known as a “weirdo” and “genius” by the art world. Proficient in ink, oil, and pastel paintings as well as woodcut prints, most of his works are inspired by the daily lives of ordinary folks. They represent an open-minded and positive attitude towards life. His woodcut prints show the social lifestyles of Singapore through the decades and hold meaningful historical value. Lim’s pastel fish paintings contain artistic elements from the east and west. With just a few perfectly executed strokes, he was able to bring out the soul and life of his subjects. Observing the paintings from a certain distance, one might even have thought the fish are alive and swimming. The former editor of Nanyang Siang Pau Art Edition and “Youth Paradise”, Lim was also invited by the Inner Mongolia Oriental Culture Research Institute to be its Associate Professor. He was the senior researcher for the Xu Beihong Memorial Hall in Nanjing amongst other notable positions. He has held dozens of solo exhibitions and art demonstrations at home and abroad. His works are collected by art museums in the United States, Malaysia, China and other countries.