Moments of Light: Selected Paintings & Original Prints by Ong Kim Seng is an exhibition showcasing a series of works done in collaboration with the STPI workshop alongside a collection of original watercolours representing various periods of the artist’s career. Against this historical backdrop, Ong’s print works are a clear demonstration of further artistic development as he explores various printing techniques in creation of a delightful suite of lithographs, monotypes and other works on paper.

 

The exhibition also displays a selection of Ong’s watercolours spanning the 1960s to the present. Ong refers to that vital element of light in the watercolour media that allows forms to be defined and which so effectively conveys mood and atmosphere. Taking the notion of light beyond its more conventional expressions, Ong offers us a spectrum of light – from blistering noon light, to the tempered variations of light at dawn and dusk, to the sparkling lights of starlight and that which penetrates through a monsoon storm. In the artist’s own words, “Light is no longer ‘light’ as commonly depicted in watercolours, but a spectacular range of illumination, from deep nocturnal episodes to the wonderful, subtle light variations at dawn, dusk or during a tropical storm.”
Ong continued to explore at STPI his abiding interest in the island of Ubin as well as aspects of his early passion for the Himalayan mountain range.