Artists over the ages and geographical divides love to paint horses, for the powerful imagery of strength and beauty, grace and power, and freedom and loyalty. The horse embodies the positive values of energy, spirit and speed. Equestrian works in Chinese ink painting are held up by Xu Beihong and Professor Xu Rong, while the Western models include Gericault, George Stubbs and Picasso. Locally, there are John Lee Joo For and Lim Ah Cheng. For more than 25 years, Ah Cheng has defined his horse paintings particularly those on a large scale of the rumbling of a ‘thousand' hooves.
Lim Ah Cheng graduated with a diploma in Graphic Design at the Malaysian Institute of Art in 1988-1991, with a simultaneous certificate in communications (storybook design and illustrations) from the Tatsun Studio in 1990-1991. He trained under master calligrapher Chung Chen Chuan. He won the Initiative Award in the Galeri Shah Alam Open in 1997, and the 3rd Prize in the National Open in 1998. He has participated in art fairs in England, Singapore and Malaysia. His first solo, of equestrian paintings, was at Elle Six gallery in 2002. His tenth solo exhibition Encore was held at Pinkguy Gallery, Kuala Lumpur in 2018. He had two solos in Singapore, in 2004 and 2008. He held a solo in 2022 titled Pursue The Dream, organised by V'Art Space.