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 emotional experience.

In this work, Ho focuses on one of Singapore’s historical spots–Fort Canning Park, located at the top of Fort Canning Hill. The hill was converted to a fort in 1860 during the period when Singapore was under British control. Ho renders a remnant of the fort, the Fort Gate built between 1859 to 61 to protect Singapore from sea-borne attack and refuge. He documents a fragment of Singapore’s colonial past by capturing the historical gate against the tranquil scene of the park with sunlight casting on the pathway leading to the gate. The work not only evokes the memories of the older generation, it also serves to enlighten the younger generation.