A morning at the village market is captured in careful detail by Ong Kim Seng. Ong’s affinity for picturesque scenes brings out the best of his painting ability. Scenes like this one are washed in sunlight, exposing the textures of ancient brick facades, makeshift tents and vegetable baskets. Old timber homes and an overgrowth of foliage flank the scene. These add dimension and diffuse the busyness of the central action of vendors, women and children, chickens running, and the bumpiness of the ground. Ong puts much effort into finding beautiful scenes that inspire him to paint. This has involved much travel, and some of his best works have emerged from his trips to Bali and Nepal.

Other paintings by Ong in the Singtel collection include Amoy Street (1990), An Old Hotel (Mitre Hotel)(1997), Blair Road and Spottiswoode Park Junction (2008), and a commissioned work Comcentre (2010).