“A work of art that did not begin in emotions is not art.”
- Paul Cézanne

UOB POY Gallery, Malaysia

The gallery features winning artworks of UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia). Be inspired by the stories of our winning artists.
UOB POY Gallery, Malaysia: Level 5, UOB Bangsar branch, Bangunan Bangsaria, 45E Jalan Maarof, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Artworks on Display

Old Man

Oil on Canvas
168 x 134 cm

2013 UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia)
Top Winner, Established Artist Category

Artist: Gan Tee Sheng
Title: Old Man
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Size (cm): 168 x 134
The artist used the characteristics of the architect's tracing paper between water and ink to find a bridge that connects her emotions. The free-spirited ink rhythm flows through the moving visuals. These simple elements of water and ink embed the intimate subtlety and overwhelming emotional power of contemporary ink artwork.

Digitisation of Life

Oil on Canvas
80 x 150 cm

2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia)
Bronze Winner, Emerging Artist Category

Artist: Tan Siew San
Title: Digitisation of Life
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Size (cm): 80 x 150
Digitisation of Life aims to bring awareness to smartphone addiction in today’s society. The artist came to a realisation on the phenomena when she stopped her own indulgement in the said device. She used her family to portray the addiction and its effects that are prevalent in each household.

Town, No. 578

Mixed media on paper (Ink wash, technical pen and watercolour)
100 x 180 cm (Triptych)

2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia)
Gold Winner, Established Artist Category

Artist: Ong Hieng Fuong
Title: Town, No. 578
Medium: Mixed media on paper (Ink wash, technical pen and watercolour)
Size (cm): 100 x 180 (Triptych)
Town, No. 578 is a colourful palette of memories and experiences presented on paper to artfully evoke a sense of nostalgia. Using a technical pen and watercolour, the artist depicts an old way of life that is fast being replaced by modernisation. In this artwork, the artist is recalling his early memories growing up in a traditional Chinese community. He poignantly recalls the memory of a Teochew opera held in his hometown to celebrate Chinese deities and the bustling community life that was typical of small towns and villages. Each element of the artwork details the behaviour and action of people hidden deeply within the artist’s memory.

The Clock of Ageing of a Flower

Oil on wood
28.5 x 28.5 cm

2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia)
Silver Winner, Emerging Artist Category

Artist: Wong Joo Yee
Title: The Clock of Ageing of a Flower
Medium: Oil on wood
Size (cm): 28.5 x 28.5
The Clock of Ageing of a Flower explores how women are central to the family structure. The artist examines the roles women play across different generations, ranging from daughters, wives and mothers to grandmothers and great grandmothers. Inspired by an old family photo, the artist painted a picture of her paternal great grandmother holding a young female member of the family. The artist used the seat of an antique wooden stool as her canvas to convey the passing of time and to reiterate how women have always been the foundation of the family.

The Moon Swimmers

Oil on wood
54 x 124.5 cm

2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia)
Gold Winner, Emerging Artist Category

Artist: Ho Su San
Title: The Moon Swimmers
Medium: Oil on wood
Size (cm): 54 x 124.5
Growing up in the coastal town of Kuala Sepetang (Port Weld) in Perak, the artist has always been intrigued by the relationship between the moon and rising tides. As a child, the people in her town were always preoccupied with the cycle of the moon to help them determine if a flood is going to happen. Painted with oil on wood, The Moon Swimmers is a recollection of the artist’s childhood memories of extraordinary floods that occur during the full moon in her hometown.

Tulang Belut (Eel Bone)

Mixed media on canvas (Acrylic, Chinese ink, pencil and paper collage)
122 x 153 cm

2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia)
Silver Winner, Established Artist Category

Artist: Haslin Bin Ismail
Title: Tulang Belut (Eel Bone)
Medium: Mixed media on canvas (Acrylic, Chinese ink, pencil and paper collage)
Size (cm): 122 x 153
Tulang Belut (Eel Bone) is created using a stitching technique used in traditional Malay clothing. The artist uses interfacing fabric, a type of material used by tailors to stick fabric together to create an artwork that reflects the value of tradition, family and the will to overcome adversity. The artwork pays homage to the craft of the artist’s tailor parents, through the traditional Baju Melayu. It is also his self-reflection on the strong family relationships that shaped him today.

Into Each Life, Some Rain Must Fall

Mixed media on canvas (Embroidery and plaster)
94 x 165 cm (Triptych)

2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia)
Bronze Winner, Established Artist Category

Artist: Low Kar Lai
Title: Into Each Life, Some Rain Must Fall
Medium: Mixed media on canvas (Embroidery and plaster)
Size (cm): 94 x 165 (Triptych)
Into Each Life, Some Rain Must Fall depicts the myriad of remarkable stories that the artist has heard through her encounters with people from all walks of life. Using plaster and embroidery on canvas, the triptych details the persona of individual city dwellers, each with their own unique tale to tell.