"释文: 美誉孚众望，发达扩鸿图
印文: 伟甫书画(则筹刻)，学大印(呉得先刻)"
The founding principal of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Lim Hak Tai, was one of Singapore’s most notable artists. Adept in Western oil painting, Chinese ink painting and calligraphy, Lim integrates Western and Chinese techniques while portraying Southeast Asian subject matter. This style of work is known as the “Nanyang style”. Lim ensured that the school he established embraced similar sentiments. The curriculum was one of the first schools in Asia to strike a balance between Western and Chinese art traditions in the curriculum, an initiative that NAFA still embraces today.
Showcasing Lim’s writing in the clerical script, the couplet reads “美誉孚众望，发达扩鸿图” which translates to “a good reputation built on trust enhances development and furthers progress.”