A Tribute to Ong Kim Seng

Ong Kim Seng was born on 10 June 1945 in Singapore, and his name is synonymous with watercolour in Singapore. A self-taught artist who has exhibited around the world, his collectors include Queen Elizabeth II and Kofi Annan. Ong made history for Singapore in 1990 when he became the first Asian member to be named on the register of the American Watercolour Society, following the winning of important prizes administered by the organisation in the last two years.

Today, Ong continues to paint, exhibit and teach.

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Watercolourist Ong Kim Seng has a new solo show in Malaysia

Veteran Singaporean artist Ong Kim Seng takes viewers around some of his favourite South-East Asian places in his latest exhibition in Kuala Lumpur.

One aspect of art is capturing moments, preserving the essence of a time forever, according to veteran Singaporean watercolour artist Ong Kim Seng.

Taking me around the gallery in Kuala Lumpur where he’s holding an exhibition, Ong pauses momentarily before a work from 2012, a row of shophouses in Singapore’s Little India, recalling how he had to sit on the opposite side of the road to capture the right angle.

“Many of these type of houses in Singapore now have been renovated in full. They’ve lost their feel of the past. These, however, still maintain their ambiance. You can still see them today,” Ong says.

“Some of the areas around us are slowly changing. So before they actually change, why not capture them?”

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