Lim Nang Seng (1917 - 17 November 1987, [1]) was a Singaporean sculptor. He sculpted the Merlion statue in Merlion Park.
Lim was born in 1917 in Kuching, Sarawak.[2] Lim originally worked as a schoolteacher.[3] Sculpting initially began as a hobby of his, which he later turned into his career.[4] In 1967, Lim held the first sculpture show in Singapore with five other sculptors, and designed the 1967 Singapore coin collection. 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.[5] 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.[6] In 1970, he won three prizes in a handicraft and design exhibition.[7] In 1971, Lim began hosting sculpting lessons, teaching women how to sculpt.[8]
In 1971, Lim was selected to sculpt the Merlion statue in the Merlion Park along the Singapore River.[9] Work on the sculpture began on November 1971 and ended in August 1972, and involved all eight of his children.[10] In 1975, Lim was among several local artists whose work was presented in China by S. Rajaratnam.[11]
However, Lim did not want his children to follow in his footsteps, as he did not earn much money from sculpting.[12]
On 17 November 1987, during the Merlion Week, while working on clay figurines, Lim fainted and was admitted into the Singapore General Hospital.[13] At the hospital, Lim underwent surgery, which was unsuccessful, and died at 5.55pm.[14]