The Singapore Art Museum has just received a donation of some 230 paintings by 83-year-old Cultural Medallion winner Lim Tze Peng. Most of the paintings, which will be displayed in December, depict local street scenes and the island's original landscape, before it was lined with skyscrapers. Among them are depictions of Geylang lantern merchants, images of Chinatown fortune tellers and the Singapore River.

Kwok Kian Chow, Director of Singapore Art Museum, said: "He has painted the landscapes of Singapore especially the disappearing landscapes before urban redevelopment. Now, these are of course very important historical records, not just in terms of photographic images of these places but personal feelings about these places."

Born and bred in Singapore, Mr Lim is from the first generation of self-taught local artists. part from his oil paintings and perhaps best known ink works, the artist and his patron, also donated 30 pieces of calligraphy.

"For me to donate my works to the Singapore Art Museum is actually a very easy thing. I feel that in life, what is more important is that each person considers what you can give and contribute to society rather than what you can get," said Mr Lim.

Prior to this donation, the Art Museum already had some 30 pieces of the artist's work. With these new paintings, the museum has a more complete picture of the artist's development over his 50-year career.