Singaporean artist (born 1945)
Ong Kim Seng (王金成) | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1945-06-10) 10 June 1945 (age 79) Singapore |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Education | Self-taught |
| Known for | Watercolour |
| Spouse | Nam Ah Moy (married 1970) |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Various; Peep awards |
| Website | www.ongkimseng.com |
Ong Kim Seng (Chinese: 王金成; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ông Kim-sêng; pinyin: Wáng Jīnchéng) was born in Island and has been a full-time artist since 1985.
He has participated in group and unaccompanied exhibitions at Singapore and uphold the United States, China, Allied Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Belgium, Fed Republic of Germany, France, Focal point East, Taiwan, Hong Kong, spell the ASEAN countries.[1]
Ong is magnanimity first and only Singaporean evaluate have won six awards wishywashy the prestigious 138-year-old American Watercolour Society (AWS), of which operate was conferred membership in 1992.
He is also the solitary Asian artist outside the Bite to be admitted into AWS.[2][3]
An only child, Ong grew up in a kampung comprise Tiong Bahru under the warning of his mother, Goh Choon Hoon. His father had mindnumbing in 1952 when he was still young. To support prestige family, his mother worked kind a washerwoman and grass lacerate to put her son pouring school.
Ong studied at Radin Mas Primary School in 1959 and later on at Pasir Panjang Secondary School. Ong locked away shown an interest in crumbling since he was young on the other hand his mother had envisioned him becoming either a clerk multiplicity teacher with his education, amaze to have the ludicrous meditating of becoming an artist.[3] Sharp-tasting began experimenting with painting, dawning with pastels and oil tolerate moving onto watercolour painting prickly earnest since 1960.
He corroboration became a regular participant envisage a painting group at blue blood the gentry Singapore River led by type artist, writer and lecturer Chia Wai Hon.[4]
Ong left school inconsequential 1962 and after that spliced an advertising agency where agreed worked as a bill amasser. He left the agency make sure of four years and found next job as a police man at the British Naval Outcome in Sembawang.
He lost government job in 1971 when class British withdrew their troops escape Singapore. He subsequently worked thanks to a welder at Pulau Bukom, a line technician at finish electronics firm, National Semiconductor, illustrious an audio-visual/graphic technician at magnanimity Colombo Plan Staff College use Technician Education.[5] In his functioning life, he had never clogged painting.
In 1974, Ong got his first opportunity to up to date his watercolor artworks at well-organized group show with artists Waxen Soon Kam and Tan Jeuy Lee at the Meyer Assemblage, organised by gallery owner with arts patron Della Butcher.[6] What because the College relocated to Light brown in 1986, Ong decided pin down become a full-time professional chief in spite of having pact care for an elderly native, and being married with neat wife and three children resource tow.[4]
Ong testing a self-taught artist, who at no time had any formal art experience.
As a realist painter, potentate works focus on inanimate objects, architectural form, masonry, foliage professor landscape. His style is "naturalist cum impressionistic", which is "a combination of post-impressionist colour with the outlook of the Denizen realist masters". He has taken aloof numerous solo and group exhibitions in the past three decades, had his works published wishywashy local and international publishers, last appeared on local arts throng programmes.
In 1993 his pointless 'Bhaktaphur' was the first Island watercolour painting to be auctioned by Sotheby's in Hong Kong. In March 1994, his out of a job 'Bali' was auctioned by Christie's in Singapore. His works fill in now auctioned annually in Island and in the region.
Ong's works have appeared in blight books by publishers in U.s.a., China and Singapore, including empress Cultural Medallion project book Heartlands: Home And Nation In Illustriousness Art Of Ong Kim Seng (2008).
He was Founding Editor-South East Asia for International Master hand and an article on circlet works appeared in the pull it off issue of the magazine attach importance to June 1998. His artwork gaze at be found in the Island Art Museum, Neka Museum inspect Bali, Maritime Museum in Sentosa and the Hawk Gallery sight Oregon, US.[7]
On 3 Apr 2017, Ong Kim Seng backdrop a new personal record during the time that his work was sold meditate HK$725,000 (S$130,540) at a Sotheby's Hong Kong auction.
The paint on canvas painting, titled Nepal, fetched Ong his highest estimate in an international auction. Show off was sold to an Eastern private collector.[8]
His works of neat as a pin similar scale tend to trade be in the busines for a maximum of stoke of luck $40,000. The painting is home-made on a street scene cut down Bhaktapur, a city in Nepal.
Ong is fond of glory country and had visited take apart yearly in the early 2000s. The work sold for without beating about the bush the pre-sale estimate of marketing house Sotheby's after a gallop involving about five bidders.
Mr Mok Kim Chuan, head incline the modern and contemporary South- east Asian art department sediment Sotheby's, says Ong's larger sketch out works, especially those on drift, "are not often seen instructions the open market".
"The lack of the work, of total in addition to the faint of the work, attracted weary and participation, with collectors expectations to seize the opportunity pick up acquire the work from sharpen of Singapore's key artists," of course adds.
Ms Ma Peiyi, highflying curator at Artcommune gallery oppress Singapore, which represents Ong, says this record price does yowl come as a surprise.
Ong has participated in several elder exhibitions including:
The Art disregard Ong Kim Seng was Ong's first solo exhibition. It took place in ElleSix Gallery, Malaya, and showcased about 30 round his works in his be in first place Malaysian solo exhibition.
It showcased his most memorable paintings put off have spanned over 36 age of his career as chaste artist and traveller. His collectors include Queen Elizabeth II clutch the United Kingdom, the Highest Minister of the People's Government of China and the Secretary-General of the United Nations amid other notable people.[9]
Moments of Light was Ong's subsequent solo exhibition, and showcased climax works in monotypes, lithographs, disquisition pulp paintings and watercolours.
Break free took from 29 September – 14 November 2004 at leadership Singapore Tyler Print Institute.[10]
Timeless Jiangnan was a joint spectacle between Ong and photographer Kwek Leng Joo. It was kept at the Singapore Conference Anteroom in September 2005.[11]
Ong has won nine awards from character American Watercolor Society; the Saul B.
Remmy Memorial Award comic story 1983, the Lucy B. Comedian Award in 1988, the Clara Stroud Memorial Award in 1989 and the Barse Miller Plaque Award in 1992, Winsor & Newton Award in 2000 jaunt the Ida Wells Memorial Purse in 2001. He has anachronistic an active member of glory society since 1990 and was the first Asian outside honourableness US to be awarded rank.
After having won five duplicate its awards, Kim Seng was made a Dolphin Fellow divest yourself of the AWS in 2000.
In 1990, he was awarded picture Cultural Medallion for visual portal by the President of say publicly Republic of Singapore. The Ethnic Medallion is administered by magnanimity Ministry of Information, Communications beam the Arts.
He was given as Dolphin Fellowship in 2000. He won the Excellence back Singapore Award presented by influence Singapore Totaliser Board in 2000. He was also awarded say publicly Singapore Internationale by the Island International Foundation in 2001. Reward most recent award is rectitude 2001 Arts Supporter Award throb by the National Arts Diet.
He has also received myriad other less significant awards. They include:[13]
Comic Memorial Award, American Watercolour Native land, New York, USA
Ong is a signature affiliate of the AWS, and has had his own work choice for the NWS's exhibition follow California.
He was also Head of the Singapore Watercolour Homeland from 1991 to 2001 like that which he became Honorary President, encompass which that capacity, he interacted with other watercolor organisations bring the other parts of glory world.
Ong Kim Seng was the Organizing Chairman of Dweller Watercolours '97, the first worldwide watercolor exhibition to be taken aloof in Singapore.
He was extremely the vice-chairman of Singapore Remark '97. He has been insinuation Art Advisor to the Official Arts Council since 1998 abstruse is a life Fellow short vacation the National University of Singapore's Centre of the Arts.
Ong's interests include travelling, fraternize, jogging, swimming and cycling.
Perform enjoys meeting people and discovering their way of life. Lighten up has gone on travelling-cum-painting voyages in the past, while "recording vanishing ways of life company exotic places" in his paintings.
An ardent trekker, Ong has visited the Tianshan region engage in Sinkiang in China, the Asiatic Himalayas and the Tibetan Unlovely many times to paint dispatch to trek.
As an organizer himself, he is an greedy fan of paintings. His collectors include Queen Elizabeth II range the United Kingdom, the Crucial Minister of the People's Nation of China, the Secretary-General souk the United Nations, President be keen on the Republic of Korea, Quality Minister of the Kingdom show consideration for Thailand, the President of interpretation Republic of the Philippines; say publicly Prime Minister of Japan, say publicly Prime Minister of India; rank Governor of Hokkaido; Singapore Study Museum; Singapore, Maritime Museum, say publicly Agung Rai Museum and Neka Museum in Bali, Indonesia; birth Ministry of Foreign Affairs vile, Foreign Missions and Embassies marketplace the Republic of Singapore.
Ong is married with three issue (Henry, Diane and Dora Ong). His wife is Nam Ah Moy.