LOT 40
ONG KIM SENG
B. Singapore, 1945
Om Mani Padme Hum! (Jewel in the Heart of the Lotus) – Nepal Series, 1980
Signed on lower left
Ink and colour on paper
73 x 53.5 cm
Private Collection, Singapore
RM 22,000 – RM 50,000
The Himalayas has always been a source of inspiration and a great challenge to venerable artist, Ong Kim Seng. He trekked up to Everest Basecamp to paint its scenery in 1978 to test himself. “I wanted to see if I could work in conditions that were a lot harsher than those in Singapore, and I am very glad that I passed the test,” said Ong. The artist’s well-received Himalayan Trek Exhibition in 1979 was a testimonial of this fact. But more than that, Ong was captivated by the mountain range as well as the people of Kathmandu, which proceeded to inspire another trip in 1981. Throughout the years, on the other side of the Himalayan mountain range, lies Tibet, which posed a mysterious lure for the artist. “It represented my greatest challenge yet.