Second-generation Singaporean artist Ang Ah Tee often draws inspiration from his frequent travels overseas. However, local landscapes, such as Singapore’s urban sites, still hold a unique place in his heart. Graduating with a Diploma in Western painting from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1962, Ang began painting the landscapes of Singapore and the broader Southeast Asian region even before he became a full-time artist in 1977. Mentored by pioneer artists Cheong Soo Pieng and Georgette Chen, he was exposed to various Western mediums and became exceptionally skilled in drawing and painting. 

Ang paints many of his artworks using acrylic paint and a palette knife. The former material dries fast, allowing the artist to create multiple layers on his canvas swiftly. The textures and lines delineated by the palette knife are apparent in the depictions of the skyscrapers’ façade occupying the centre of Shenton Way. In this artwork, Ang used subtle gradated tonal variations to enhance the dimensions of the streets and buildings, a technique which evinces the qualities of Post-Impressionist paintings. The artist also incorporated dark and light colours in creating a landscape to build form in the subjects.