Ong Kim Seng grew up in post-war Singapore in modest circumstances. He did not have formal art training; instead, his art education was one of self-discipline, observation, and continuous self-improvement. He joined informal painting groups such as what became known as the “Sunday Group” and learnt through practice, critique, and study of masters. From these grassroots beginnings, Ong gradually developed a distinctive voice as a realist watercolourist, with sensitivity to light, structure, and the atmospheric quality of scenes.