SingartNostalgia In Transformation| Ong Kim Seng
Sterling Singaporean artist Ong Kim Seng in Nostalgia In Transformation reflects his perspectives on local infrastructure as part of an SG50 Exhibition at Ode to Art Gallery. Infused with personal memories of the places he paints, his scenes exude an intangible, unequivocal aura of life. I heard the bustle and hustle of the locations through his skilful watercolour manipulation, and could only imagine certain parts of it— after all, I am a 90’s kid.
Ong, a prolific watercolourist named “Master of ASEAN Watercolourist” at the World Watermedia Exposition in June 2014, narrates Singapore’s past and present in his landscapes, mostly featuring local buildings. To me, buildings reveal change and stability at the same time — a historical building, unmoving, stands rooted to the ground, while the juxtaposition of it with newer buildings is a direct revelation of time. This is prominent in Elgin Bridge (Watercolour on paper, 120 x 90cm, 2014) where Ong, at a high vantage point, depicts in plein-air (directly from sight) the cityscape of older orange-roofed shophouses familiar to Clarke Quay along with fields of modern buildings in the same composition.
What makes Ong one of the most acclaimed watercolourists in the region? The only Singaporean to have won six awards bestowed by the American Watercolor Society, his sharp perception of colour sets him apart from the pack. His works are enhanced with life by skilful calculation of the colours he wants to use — as well as which parts of his work he wants to make stand out. This manipulation of light is indeed laudable, as he wraps his viewers up in the atmosphere and essence of the locations he paints. In viewing Elgin Bridge, the 5 o’clock light that bathes the whole scene merges the juxtaposition old and new buildings into a comfortable understanding of time and transformation. The atmosphere does not hesitate to engulf its viewers — he may begin to imagine the rippling sounds of a river taxi cruising along Singapore River and faint car horns in the distance…
Among Ong’s stunning works, the piece that commanded my attention was Lane Off Little India (Watercolour on paper, 52 x 72cm , 1995). It was truly applaudable that Ong was able to add value to his work by integrating weather with this particular part of Dalhousie Lane. The mix of muted and lighter colours brought out the whole experience of Little India — the shop exteriors had a muted, green shade to it, while the structure of the building was the main focal point, its white comfortably standing out against the darker colours. By creating a full experience and including the weather as one of the major factors instead of being in the background, he immerses the viewer in the scene. The consideration of balance is also one thing to take note of, as the symmetrical look of the main building stabilised the whole composition for the audience to appreciate the colours better.
In Ong’s words, “…I paid particular attention the formation of the scene which comprises of different shapes and structures, especially the old buildings that are sandwiched or enclosed by ultramodern ones. This is what the modern Singapore cityscape has now become.”. This desire to understand transformation of local scenes through art marks a pivotal moment in Singapore’s art scene, where it has entered a stage of transition and evolution.
Ong Kim Seng’s works were exhibited at Ode To Art Gallery, Raffles City from 9 – 14 Apr 2015, 11:00am – 9:00pm.
