Born in 1937, Singaporean artist Ho Kah Leong is known for his en plein air paintings and Chinese calligraphy. Trained at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) for one and a half years in the mid-1950s, Ho explored with various mediums such as outdoor sketching, woodblock printing, photography and painting. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science Nanyang University in 1963, Ho continues to hone his skills and participates actively in the local art scene even when he was a teacher and politician. Serving as a NAFA’s principal from 1997 to 2003, Ho is passionate in working outdoor and painting on-site to capture the essence and life of a scene, which he believes can evoke one’s emotion.

Over the years, Ho has travelled to different parts of the world to sketch and paint outdoor. Ho’s sketches exemplify the fundamental drawing curriculum of the Academy that influenced his artistic practice. Sketches that allow him to observe and document the cultural and historical landmarks of the world. In this sketch, Ho renders the historical Indian city, Jaisalmer situating on the edge of sandstone in Rajasthan. Numerous architectures in the city including the ancient Jaisalmer Fort guarding the state’s frontier are built of sandstone. The Sunset Point view at Café Kaku is one of the locations in Jaisalmer when one can observe the city transforming to “a golden city” during sunset.