Thomas Ong let go of an oil painting of Lee Kuan Yew for S$4,000 as he was moving to a smaller home. Photo: Thomas Ong/Instagram
Singaporean actor Thomas Ong recently made the difficult decision to part with a beloved possession: a huge oil portrait of Singapore’s late founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.
The 55-year-old posted on Instagram on Nov 16 that he was letting it go for S$4,000 as he was moving to a smaller home. The artwork is composed entirely of numbers, arranged to look like Lee.
The actor of series such as Channel 5 soap opera Kin (2018 to 2022) and Channel 8’s Three Wishes (2014) said he has always admired Lee’s foresight and courage. He chanced upon the painting in Thailand six years ago. It measures 1.7m by 1.5m and took a month to complete.
Ong spent more than S$2,000 to buy and transport the portrait to Singapore.
He said: “I was so taken by it that I brought it home without hesitation. When my friends see this painting, they’re in awe of how unique it is and curious about how the artist managed to imbue the canvas with such deep emotions.”
He added: “Every time I face challenges in life or when I feel down, I look at this painting and it reminds me, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ All the hardships and perseverance will eventually be beautiful chapters of life.”
In an interview with Shin Min Daily News published on Nov 21, Ong said an old friend has agreed to buy the painting from him at his asking price of S$4,000. The money will go towards two schools in Cambodia, which Ong has been financially supporting for several years.
He told Shin Min that he felt sad to part with the artwork.
“It is a rare piece of work. But we come into this world with nothing and we will leave with nothing, so having had it in my possession is enough. It is more important to raise funds for the school,” he said. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
