Ong Kim Seng, Antique Shop at Bhaktaphur, 2025, Watercolour on Paper, 53 x 73 cm
artcommune gallery is pleased to announce the official publication launch of Ong Kim Seng: A Retrospective Journey in Watercolour, a 256-page hardback publication that covers six decades of the artist’s journey and over 200 artworks spanning from the 1960s to the present. The book, which is also supported by the National Arts Council, provides the first retrospective survey of Ong Kim Seng’s artistic career and lifelong dedication to preserving the heritage, architecture, and cultural memory of Singapore and the region.
A celebrated maestro of light and shade, Ong Kim Seng (b. 1945, Singapore), BBM. A.W.S. DF. N.W.S achieved international prominence for his lyrical and delicate rendering of landscapes in watercolours since the 1980s, and is one of Singapore’s most successful artists to date. In 1983, Ong Kim Seng won the prestigious Paul B. Remmy American Watercolour Society Memorial Award with a breathtaking landscape featuring the distinct architectural brickwork of Nepal, becoming the first Singapore watercolourist to rise to international prominence. He was also the first Asian outside of the United States to be awarded the American Watercolour Society (AWS) membership in 1990 and has clinched 9 awards from the AWS since. Ong Kim Seng was conferred the Cultural Medallion in Visual Arts by the Republic of Singapore in 1990.
The publication launch of Ong Kim Seng: A Retrospective Journey in Watercolour will take place on 29 March, Sunday, 3pm at artcommune gallery. The event will be officiated by Guest-of-Honour, Mr. Ong Ye Kung (Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health).
To celebrate the book launch, a milestone exhibition Ong Kim Seng: Forging Worlds in Tropical Light will be held in conjunction at artcommune gallery from 29 March to 12 April 2026. Featuring around 30 old and new works dating from 1963 to 2026, including several award-winning paintings by the artist, the show provides audience a quick survey of Ong Kim Seng’s remarkable watercolour evolution across six decades.
Official Book Launch & Exhibition: 29 March 2026, Sunday, 3pm – 5pm
Exhibition Period: 29 March – 12 April 2026, 12pm – 7pm daily
Venue: artcommune gallery, 76 Bras Basah Road 87, #01-01 Carlton Hotel, Singapore 189558
When: 29 Mar - 12 Apr 2026,
