Thomas Ong Sells Lee Kuan Yew Portrait For S$4K, Will Use The Money To Fund His 2 Schools In Cambodia

When it comes to moving, one often has to get rid of things to make space for new ones.

For ex-Mediacorp actor Thomas Ong, it was a beloved portrait of our late Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. 

Last week, the 55-year-old shared on Instagram that he's looking for interested buyers for the art piece, which he bought six years ago.

According to Thomas, he had to sell the artwork as he's moving into a smaller home. 

He had chanced upon the portrait in Thailand and was captivated the moment he saw it. 

The 170cm by 150cm art piece was made using Numberism — a technique that uses small numbers to create an image. The piece took the artist a month to complete.

Thomas had hung it on a wall in his home, and he would stare at it every time he's going through a dark time in his life.

"This piece reminds me that 'Rome wasn't built in a day', and that all the difficult moments will eventually become beautiful chapters in our lives," he mused, adding that he truly respects the foresight and courage Lee Kuan Yew had.

Based on his post, he was looking to sell it for $4,000.

Thomas later revealed to Chinese media zaobao.sg that he sold the art piece to an old friend who came across his IG post.

The actor, who paid $2,000 for the painting (including its shipping fees to Singapore), will be using the $4K he received to fund the two schools he built in Cambodia.

"As long as I once possessed [the artwork], that's more than enough. Raising funds for the schools in Cambodia is more important," he explained.

Thomas has three more paintings to sell.

"Initially I was scared that I had spent my money carelessly [on the artwork] but I learnt that they retain their value over time. They can also help raise funds for my schools," said Thomas.

Since 2017, he spends about $30,000 a year on the schools so 600 students can continue to have an education.