“A work of art that did not begin in emotions is not art.”
- Paul Cézanne
Exhibitions
UOB Art Gallery, Singapore
UOB Art Gallery, China
UOB POY Gallery, Malaysia
“A work of art that did not begin in emotions is not art.”
- Paul Cézanne

UOB Art Gallery, Singapore

Amid the hustle and bustle of Singapore’s Central Business District, the gallery provides a creative enclave for you to appreciate artworks from the UOB Art Collection.
UOB Art Gallery: 80 Raffles Place, UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor, Singapore 048624
Current Showcase
Past Showcases
Infinite Oneness
A Solo Exhibition by Wong Tze Chau
Top Winner of 2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore),
Established Artist Category
From now till 30 October 2020
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place, UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor

The universe is a manifestation of infinite forms. At a macro level, there is one universal force that unites everything and at a micro level, every being is made up of atoms which are essentially the same.

A Greek sculpture that fell from a pedestal and broke into thousands of pieces, eventually returned to the smallest particles. A human hand that is holding a paintbrush today might be made up of one of the particles from the ancient Greece.

The ancient concept of oneness has always been fascinating to Mr Wong. All beings are connected through interdependence. Stripping off the masks and forms, we will find the same core hidden within. The concept of yin and yang evolves from oneness and the universe would return to its origin.

Words are symbols of different cultures. Mr Wong uses dots to form words in different languages to create a bridge between the different realms. He believes there could be harmony in this increasingly divided world if we could see beyond our differences.

UOB is the organiser and sponsor of Infinite Oneness.
Artworks for Sale
樂
(Happiness or Music)
Acrylic on canvas
90 x 90 cm
S$5,000
Beyond Good and Evil
Acrylic on canvas
129 x 191 cm
S$10,000
Truth
‍Acrylic on canvas
160 x 120 cm
S$8,000
Brotherhood
Acrylic on canvas
122 x 91 cm
S$6,000
Art
‍Acrylic on canvas
91 x 122 cm
S$6,000
Being and Nothingness
Acrylic on canvas
129 x 89 cm
S$6,000
Cycle
Acrylic on canvas
91 x 122 cm
S$6,000
Selfie
Acrylic on canvas
76 x 76 cm
S$3,000
自拍
Selfie (Chinese)
Acrylic on canvas
76 x 76 cm
S$3,000
சுயபடம்
Selfie (Tamil)
Acrylic on canvas
76 x 76 cm
S$3,000
CHUP ANH TU SUONG
Selfie (Vietnamese)
Acrylic on canvas
76 x 76 cm
S$3,000
ချစ်သူ
‍Selfie (Burmese)
Acrylic on canvas
61 x 122 cm
S$4,000
صورة
شخصية
Selfie (Arabic)
Acrylic on canvas
61 x 122 cm
S$4,000
Emptiness
Acrylic on canvas
122 x 122 cm
S$6,000
空
(Emptiness)
Acrylic on canvas
127 x 127 cm
S$5,000
Sunyata
Acrylic on canvas
61 x 122 cm
S$4,000
Shanti
Acrylic on canvas
61 x 122 cm
S$4,000
Anitya
Acrylic on canvas
61 x 122 cm
S$4,000
Winning Artwork
War and Peace
2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore),
Gold Award, Established Artist Category
War and Peace explores the intrinsic beauty of calligraphy and the potential of language in contemporary art.

As a metaphor for the “Oneness of Being”, War and Peace presents the recurring and almost binary themes of darkness and light that often define humanity. While the Arabic and Hebrew text stand out in contrast, they are also meant to stand for their shared qualities such as the similarity in sounds of the word ‘Peace’: salam inArabic, shalom in Hebrew.

حرب war in Arabic
מִלחָמָה war in Hebrew
سلام peace in Arabic
שלום peace in Hebrew
Wong Tze Chau
Mr Wong draws inspiration from the German poet and philosopher, Friedrich Schiller. He strongly believes in the transformative power of arts. Since 2011, he has participated in group exhibitions locally and internationally, and held his first solo exhibition in 2018. He hopes to create artworks that are both visually appealing and thought provoking.

Email: freedommodeerf@gmail.com
Mobile: +65 9455 7993
Gravity
Solo Exhibition by
Stefanie Hauger
Gravity
A Solo Exhibition by Stefanie Hauger
Winner of 2013 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year and 2013 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore)
Winner of 2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore), Bronze Award, Established Artist Category
30 July 2020 – 6 September 2020
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place, UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor

Gravity showcases Ms Hauger’s latest body of work that includes the ‘Stone Stacks’ series as well as her other creations as she experiments with new forms of expression in her artistic journey.

Stone Stacks, also known as Cairns or Rock Stacks, are mounds of stones balanced precariously on top of one another in seemingly impossible positions, with gravity playing a key role in the success of the structure. The act of stacking stones is a practice of great patience, huge physical effort and concentration, thereby translating into a vehicle for meditation and problem solving.

In this series of artworks that spans 10 years of her life, each artwork represents one year of her life during which she was searching and rediscovering herself. The painting acts as a vehicle for her own soul-searching, burying unwanted emotions and remnants of pain, and her pilgrimage back to her inner gravity that will ground her once more.

UOB is the organiser and sponsor of Gravity.
Artworks for Sale
Stone Stack, Year 2: Realisation I
Oil on canvas
180 x 150 cm
S$8,800
Stone Stack, Year 2: Realisation lll
Oil on canvas
150 x 150 cm
Price: S$7,300
Stone Stack, Year 4: Re-set I
Oil on canvas
209 x 170 cm
Price: S$11,600
Stone Stack, Year 4: Re-set II
Oil on canvas
180 x 150 cm
Price: S$8,800
Stone Stack, Year 5: Exploration II
Oil on canvas
190 x 160 cm
Price: S$9,900
Stone Stack, Year 5: Exploration III
Oil on canvas
180 x 150 cm
Price: S$9,900
Stone Stack, Year 5: Exploration IV
Oil on canvas
180 x 150 cm
Price: S$9,900
Stone Stack, Year 6: Abandonment
Oil on canvas
180 x 150 cm
Price: S$8,800
Metal Jacket
Acrylic on canvas, nickel spikes, chrome frame
143 x 123 cm
Price: S$15,000
Cappuccino
Acrylic on canvas
150 x 150 cm
Price: S$6,700
Mon Grand Prix
Mixed media on canvas
180 x 150 cm
Price: S$8,800
Dichotomy
Acrylic on canvas
180 x 150 cm
Price: S$8,800
Heavenly Glitches
Acrylic on woven canvas
175 x 175 cm
Price: S$16,000
Deflection
Mixed media on canvas
143 x 190 cm
Price: S$8,800
Winning Artwork
Stone Stack: Year 8: Struggle, 2019
2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore),
Bronze Award, Established Artist Category
Cairns, also known as Stone Stacks or Rock Stacks are mounds of stones balanced on top of one another in seemingly physically impossible positions, with gravity playing a key role in the success of the structure. The act of stacking stones is a practice of great patience and huge physical effort as it can take hours or even days to find just the right weight distribution and balance to keep the rocks from tumbling. Each rock may also be a significant representation: thankfulness perhaps, or something within that needs to be purged, or a gesture offered to someone in need.

‍Stone Stack: Year 8: Struggle, 2019 represents one year of the artist’s life, during which she was searching and struggling. It is one of a series of 10 artworks which span 10 years of her life. The painting acts as a vehicle for her own soul-searching, burying unwanted emotions and remnants of pain, and her pilgrimage back to her inner gravity that will ground her once more.
Space Odyssey
2013 Southeast Asian Painting of the Year Award
2013 UOB Painting of the Year Winner (Singapore),
Top Winner, Established Artist Category
Space Odyssey is a contemporary interpretation of a mandala, a concentric circular diagram which helps focus attention during mediation. It shows an abstract representation of a healthy planet as seen from space. By meditating on the health of the planet, the artist hopes that the viewer's subconscious becomes invigorated by the fresh cool colours and the absence of heat.

Ms Hauger says that our current planet is being destroyed and she hopes that her interpretation of a healthy planet will instill in the audience a desire to care for the planet and to repair the damage being done.
Stefanie Hauger
Ms Hauger studied Industrial Design and worked as an interior architect for 27 years until today. She returned to fine art in 2011 and combined her varied experiences to create paintings and sculptures with a definite wow factor. She uses bold palette and freedom of expression to build strong narratives and aesthetic conviction.

She was the winner of the 2013 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year, 2013 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore) and 2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore), Bronze Award, Established Artist Category. After winning the grand prize in 2013, Ms Hauger held her solo exhibition titled New Horizons at the UOB Art Gallery in the following year, featuring her signature Mandala series.

Website: www.stefaniehaugerart.com
Email: Stefanie@stefaniehaugerart.com
Phone: +65 9731 4209
Instagram: @stefaniehaugerart
2019 UOB Painting of the Year Regional Winning Paintings’ Showcase
2019 UOB Painting of the Year Regional Winning Paintings’ Showcase
9 November 2018 – 9 February 2019
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place
UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor

We are proud to announce the 2019 UOB Painting of the Year Singapore and regional winners. Drawing influence from heritage, traditions, values and environment, these winning paintings are distinguished by their compelling stories and the strong emotions that they evoke.

At UOB, we recognise the important role of art in strengthening the fabric of a society. It connects people and communities, celebrates cultures and enriches lives. Across the region, the 38-year-old art competition has helped to uncover a new generation of Southeast Asian artists.

2019 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year

Welcome Perdamaian, Goodbye Kedengkian (Welcome Peace, Goodbye Hostility)
Anagard
Cultural diversity is not a new or imported concept. It is a reality that has existed since the time of our ancestors. For Indonesians, the concept of diversity is expressed in the slogan “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika”, found in the ancient Javanese tome by Mpu Tantular in the Majapahit era in the 14th century.

The artwork is inspired by the house of prayer in Rhema Hill, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia, which is a symbol for peace and unity among people of various faiths and groups. The technique and materials used in creating the artwork are often seen in murals with spray paint on city walls.This artwork unveils the meaning of love and peace within diversity, above all differences.

Mr Anagard graduated from the Indonesian Art Institute in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He is active in various group exhibitions both locally and internationally, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Belgium and Australia. He received several mentions, namely Finalist of the Indonesia Art Award 2013, Finalist of the Jakarta Art Award International Painting Competition, 2012 and Finalist of the Neo Nation, Yogyakarta Biennale IX, Indonesia, 2007.

2019 UOB Painting of the Year, Singapore

War and Peace
Wong Tze Chau
War and Peace explores the intrinsic beauty of calligraphy and the potential of language in contemporary art.

As a metaphor for the “Oneness of Being”, War and Peace presents the recurring and almost binary themes of darkness and light that often define humanity. While the Arabic and Hebrew text stand out in contrast, they are also meant to stand for their shared qualities such as the similarity in sounds of the word ‘Peace’: salam in Arabic, shalom in Hebrew.

Mr Wong draws inspiration from the German poet and philosopher, Friedrich Schiller. He strongly believes in the transformative power of arts. Since 2011, he has participated in group exhibitions locally and internationally, and held his first solo exhibition in 2018. He hopes to create artworks that are both visually appealing and thought provoking.

2019 UOB Painting of the Year, Malaysia

Tug of War: My Homeland
Cheng Yen Pheng
Tug of War: My Homeland depicts the struggle faced by her homeland, Malaysia. The struggle from trying to achieve the right balance between deliberation and decision, and how this can impact unity and harmony. The sense of toil and struggle is illustrated through a tug-of-war. The artist uses lalang (weeds) roots within the outline of a map of Malaysia to suggest how disagreement and debate from different factions in the country is the root cause of discord across Malaysia. She uses mulberry pulp to make the paper as the canvas for this intricate artwork.

Ms Cheng graduated from the Dasein Academy of Art with a Diploma in Fine Arts in 2004. She was shortlisted as a finalist in the Bakat Muda Sezaman (Young Art Contemporary) competition at the National Art Gallery of Malaysia in 2014 and has participated in many solo and group exhibitions locally and internationally.

2019 UOB Painting of the Year, Thailand

Wastescape
Chaichana Luetrakun
Wastescape depicts the negative impact of electronics waste (e-waste) created by humans on the environment. It is a prophecy of the day when a multitude of man-made objects sent into Earth orbits became “space garbage”, they blanket the Earth’s atmosphere, cutting those living on this planet from everything else in the universe.

Scrap metal is the result of technological innovation which is difficult to eradicate. It is also a metaphor of how human exploit the Earth’s resources and left the waste piling up as garbage since the early days of civilisation. The artist would like to raise the awareness of the pollution problems of e-waste in several dimensions.

Mr Luetrakun was the Most Promising Artist of the Year, Emerging Artist Category of 2018 UOB Painting of the Year (Thailand). He has won many art prizes in Thailand, including the 9th Young Artists Talent awarded by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture, Thailand. In 2018, he attended a student exchange programme in Los Angeles, USA.

2019 Most Promising of the Artist of the Year, Singapore

The Water is Wide
Casey Tan
The Water is Wide is inspired by the continuing crisis taking place across the world, where victims of humanitarian disasters are forced to undertake arduous journeys for survival. In a multitude of migrant faces, the artist sees a reflection of shared humanity – a profound and resonating struggle for safety, fulfillment, and a sense of home.

The artwork is framed in an enclosed space, set with stained glass hills and a hopeful sky as the backdrop, yet juxtaposed to induce a sense of compression and disorientation. The viewer is forced to confront the unspoken realities of human life. Yet, brief flashes of optimism are embedded to symbolise hope that is ever present even in the pit of despair.

2019 Most Promising of the Artist of the Year, Indonesia

Human, Human, Human, Copy of Mimetic Desire
Muhammad Yakin
Human, Human, Human, Copy of Mimetic Desire depicts today’s phenomenon of modelling oneself to an idol, symbolising the desire to imitate in order to gain acceptance and recognition in society. The artwork also reflects the journey of self-discovery before an individual is able to find his or her true identity.

Mr Yakin has actively participated in several group exhibitions, one of which was “BEBAS” Sakato Art Community exhibition, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

2019 Most Promising of the Artist of the Year, Malaysia

Bunga Moyang (Flower of the Spirits)
Nurul Asikin binti Roslan
Bunga Moyang (Flower of the Spirits) is an intricate origami made of screwpine leaves (daun pandan) and palm leaves. The Mah Meri, an ethnic group native to the western part of Peninsular Malaysia, commonly adorn the leaves at family gatherings such as weddings and funerals as a mark of respect to their elders. Inspired by the Mah Meri culture and the significance of these leaves to the tribe, the artist shines a light on the culture and customs of Malaysia’s indigenous people (Orang Asli) through this artwork.

Ms Nurul uses a lino ink printing technique to stamp geometric shapes onto the origami to emphasise symmetry and harmony. The artwork is framed in the shape of a ring, inspired by a famous Mah Meri sculpture ‘Harimau Berantai’ (Tiger in Chains).

Ms Nurul is currently pursuing her Masters of Visual Arts Education in Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia. She is a full-time graphic designer and multimedia instructor by profession.

2019 Most Promising of the Artist of the Year, Thailand

Faces – Reflections of Life No. 2
Somchai Sidamona
Faces – Reflections of Life No. 2 is inspired by stories from relatives and ancestors who have eked a living following the rural dictum. The artist improvised the traditional leather-making technique of shadow puppets and added colours to create distinctive structure of faces to reflect suffering, fatigue and hardship of the family members’ role. The material used is cow hide coupled with the hand-sewn technique that serves as the linkage among the different moods while the raised spots create an extra dimension. The paint colours are food colouring and the hair is engraved using his own unique technique.

Mr Sidamon graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from Thaksin University, Thailand in 2019. His artworks have been exhibited in group exhibitions in Thailand. Being influenced by his family business – “Nang Talung”, a folk shadow puppet show from Southern Thailand, he uses leather in his art-making.
Shifting Stillness
Solo Exhibition by
Jamie Teo

Shifting Stillness

2018 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore)
Silver Award, Emerging Artist Category
Jamie Teo
2 September – 6 November 2019
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place, UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor
Shifting Stillness brings together 18 new oil paintings in an exploration of colour, surface and gesture. It highlights the simple yet often overlooked act of seeing. Detailed in its creation yet purposefully ambiguous in expression, the vibrant paintings lure the viewer to take a look from up close and then afar. Her paintings embody a sense of tension that drifts between the stillness and phenomenal movement of colours which continually changes the longer we observe them.

Through the repetitive process of blending by pushing paint back and forth which results in a uniform gradation of colour throughout the surface, Jamie is constantly taken aback by the unexpected outcomes of the rigid processes.

All artworks except for the winning artwork, Untitled (Kings Blue Light, Cadmium Yellow, Naples Yellow Red, Cadmium Red), are available for sale.

UOB is the organiser and sponsor of Shifting Stillness.

Winning Artwork

Untitled (Kings Blue Light, Cadmium Yellow, Naples Yellow Red, Cadmium Red)
Oil on canvas
80 x 60 cm
Untitled (Kings Blue Light, Cadmium Yellow, Naples Yellow Red, Cadmium Red) is at first glance a soothing image of colours blended into a sea of calm, but upon closer inspection, presents an opportunity to explore deeper the concepts of the elusive and the intangible.

By creating a work that lacks a central focus without a balanced composition, the artist encourages the viewer’s eyes to move across the canvas constantly, allowing them to explore the colours presented in front of them. The inability to focus thus prompts the viewers to contemplate the intangible in-between state of seeing and experiencing, letting them linger longer in their introspection of the work.
Other Artworks on Display
Untitled (Magenta & Violet)
Oil on Linen
150 x 110 cm
Untitled (Magenta & Violet)
Oil on Linen
150 x 110 cm
Untitled (Magenta & Violet)
Oil on Linen
150 x 110 cm
Untitled (Magenta & Violet)
Oil on Linen
150 x 110 cm
Ms Jamie Teo
Ms Jamie Teo graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore in 2018 and was a recipient of the Winston Oh Travel Award in 2016.

Jamie has taken part in group exhibitions in Qatar, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia. She had a sold-out show at the inaugural S.E.A. Focus art fair this year and is currently represented by Art Porters Gallery.
Island Story
Solo Exhibition by Khairulddin bin Abdul Wahab

Island Story – Solo Exhibition by Khairulddin bin Abdul Wahab

2018 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore)
Top Award Winner, Established Artist Category
16 July – 5 September 2019
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor
Island Story is a tale inspired by Singapore’s early history, myth, and folklore. The series of acrylic on canvas paintings chronicles the journey of Toah, a sea nomad in 14th century Singapore, alongside the Chinese explorer Zheng He, for whom he acts as convoy and guide to the unknown island.

Along the way, they cross paths with characters and encounters that risk derailing their quest. Through a juxtaposition of historical reference and mythic motif, Khairulddin weaves paint and narrative into an island story.

All artworks except for the winning artwork, Rite of Passage are available for sale.

UOB is the organiser and sponsor of Island Story.

Winning Artwork

2018 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore)
Top Award, Established Artist Category
Rite of Passage
Acrylic on linen
130 x 180cm
Rite of Passage is derived from an image of an oil bath ritual that is practised in Silat Gayong, a style of martial arts. Practitioners would plunge their hands in boiling oil and rub it over their exposed bodies, a physical, mental and spiritual test of one’s ability to harness unseen or ‘mystical’ forces to withstand pain.

The concept of an unseen world where forces of good and evil can influence and impact physical existence is a belief found in various spiritual teachings. Rite of Passage represents this world where hidden forces come together with the physical domain through a ceremony that opens a passage where one can only pass through self-surrender.
Other Artworks on Display
Toah
Acrylic on canvas
104 x 142cm
Age of Discovery
123 x 153cm
After Dragon’s tooth gate
101 x 139cm
The last King
111 x 134cm
Mr Khairulddin
Mr Khairulddin is the top winner of 2018 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore), Established Artist Category.

He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore in 2014 where he also won the Winston Oh Travel Research Art Award.

He has participated in various local and international group exhibitions since 2010, including the inaugural 2019 S.E.A. Focus where he was also the speaker at the #SEAspotlight talk.
Enter and Echo
Solo Exhibition by
Joanne Pang

Enter and Echo – Solo Exhibition by Joanne Pang

UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore),
Gold Award Winner, Established Artist Category
14 March to 2 May 2019
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor
In Enter and Echo, Ms Pang explores the relationship between the natural creases of cloth (structure), paint (material) and state of mind (memory). Through her paint strokes, she creates visual rhythms which represent one’s emotional and psychological state. Ms Pang’s artworks are bold and expressive. While her primary use of paint is Chinese ink, Ms Pang incorporates the use of lipstick, wax pencil and graphite to add depth and texture to her artworks.

UOB is the organiser and sponsor of Enter and Echo.
2018 UOB Painting of the Year Regional Winning Paintings’ Showcase
2018 UOB Painting of the Year Regional Winning Paintings’ Showcase
9 November 2018 – 28 February 2019
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place
UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor

We are proud to announce the 2018 UOB Painting of the Year Singapore winners. Drawing influence from heritage, traditions, values and environment, these winning paintings are distinguished by their compelling stories and the strong emotions that they evoke.

At UOB, we recognise the important role of art in strengthening the fabric of a society. It connects people and communities, celebrates cultures and enriches lives. Across the region, the 37-year-old art competition has helped to uncover a new generation of Southeast Asian artists.

2018 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year, Indonesia

Angs’t (ANGST)
Suvi Wahyudianto
Angs’t (ANGST) narrates a personal experience and collective social memory towards conflicts, focusing on the important role of empathy. To the artist, despite our racial and cultural differences, we are essentially the same. This artwork thus evokes our sense of empathy towards the lives of innocents in the face of conflict and symbolises the hope that someday, the thick wall that separates us from seeing and treating each other as equal human beings will come down.

Mr Wahyudianto graduated from the Surabaya State University in 2017. His artworks are inspired by everyday life, past memories, and his interest in history. His passion for literature and theatre also helps him transform ideas into more contemplative artworks, with his experimental use of various techniques and mediums in his artistic process.

2018 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year, Singapore

Rite of Passage
Khairulddin Bin Abdul Wahab
Rite of Passage is derived from an image of an oil bath ritual that is practised in Silat Gayong, a style of martial arts. Practitioners would plunge their hands in boiling oil and rub it over their exposed bodies, a physical, mental and spiritual test of one’s ability to harness unseen or ‘mystical’ forces to withstand pain.

The concept of an unseen world where forces of good and evil can influence and impact physical existence is a belief found in various spiritual teachings. Rite of Passage represents this world where hidden forces come together with the physical domain through a ceremony that opens a passage where one can only pass through self-surrender.Mr Khairulddin has participated in various local and international group exhibitions since 2010. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore in 2014 where he also won the Winston Oh Travel Research Art Award.

Mr Wahyudianto graduated from the Surabaya State University in 2017. His artworks are inspired by everyday life, past memories, and his interest in history. His passion for literature and theatre also helps him transform ideas into more contemplative artworks, with his experimental use of various techniques and mediums in his artistic process.

2018 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year, Malaysia

Through the Eye of the Flower
Cheong Kiet Cheng
Through the Eye of the Flower is an intricate collage of ink on canvas.

Here, the artist uses a myriad of symbols inspired by nature to convey a sense of optimism in her work. Images of her two young daughters take centre stage to convey feelings of hope and the promise of a better future. On the periphery sits a crocodile, symbolising negativity, while the images of the sun and the curved whale represent the golden crescent moon and the star of the Malaysian flag.

Through these symbolic representations, the artist wants to convey the message that hope is central and all negativities should be peripheral in today’s society.

Ms Cheong obtained her Diploma in Fine Art from the Dasein Academy of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2006. She has since held three solo exhibitions and most recently exhibited her works at Art Jakarta 2018 in Indonesia. She was a finalist in the Malaysian Young Contemporary Artist Competition in 2013 and was awarded the Creative M50 Award in Shanghai, China in 2016.

2018 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year, Thailand

Persistent Problems
Apiwat Banler
Persistent Problems features a network of highways, trains and cars, tightly bound together in a knot as they intersect and overlap with one another.

Here, the pace and energy of an urban city is captured through the artist’s composition of linear roads congregating in a central focal point of gridlock. Through the painting, the artist conveys the impact of being surrounded by chaos in everyday life through persistent problems such as Bangkok’s traffic congestion, urban sprawl and mass transit system outages.

Mr Banler is an independent artist and bar owner in Bangkok, Thailand where his bar is also an art gallery. He has held solo exhibitions in Bangkok in 2015 and 2017, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Fine Arts at the King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand.

2018 Most Promising Artist of the Year, Singapore

Encapsulated Time
Hu Jingxuan
Encapsulated Time features a constructed interior made up of fragments of architectural and historical elements inspired by the artist’s own nomadic experience.

In modern society, people are constantly moving and travelling, resulting in hybrid identities, blurred cultural borders and confusing social contexts. How does one negotiate the perplexing realities of contemporary life and identity in an ever changing landscape?

Using art as a visual journal, the artist examines these ideas of modern life and migration in Encapsulated Time, capturing lost memories in a manufactured setting by re-imagining the gaps rather than recording them as they were supposed to be.

Ms Hu graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA in 2012, and obtained her Master of Arts degree from Central Saint Martins in London, UK in 2014. She uses her art to examine ideas around flux, history, heritage and urban life, with aesthetic codes as markers of identity and aspirations.

2018 Most Promising Artist of the Year, Indonesia

Introspeksi Diri (Self Introspection)
Seno Wahyu Sampurno
Introspeksi Diri (Self Introspection) is a collage made up of 288 bridge card-sized panels capturing various individual problems and memories over a period of time.

To the artist, there will always be meaningful moments in life, where each captured moment can become an opportunity for self-reflection to measure one’s capacity to achieve identified life goals. Hence, the collection of these moments represents a journey of contemplation which sometimes arises out of fear and trauma. Yet, at the same time, it is also a life process to remind us to be better human beings, for “the higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk” (seperti ilmu padi, kian berisi kian merunduk).

Mr Sampurno is a student at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, Indonesia. His artworks often depict emotions that reflect life stages, such as the trauma of death or the calm of self-reflection. He also frequently explores various genres in his artistic style.

2018 Most Promising Artist of the Year, Malaysia

The Double Portrait
Koh Kai Ting
In The Double Portrait, the artist depicts a goat as her main subject to visually make a play on the word ‘scapegoat’. Here, the artist focuses on creating a visual narrative to explore the intersection between socio-political pressures and the pursuit of individual happiness.

Using watercolour on polyester mesh fabric, the artist created a painting that draws attention to the struggle of those who are bullied and pressured to conform to societal norms at the expense of individual happiness. The message is conveyed through the image of a goat pierced by thorns to show the magnitude of suffering experienced at the hands of a bully, who often uses his or her victims as scapegoats to deflect their own inherent unhappiness.

Ms Koh graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore with a Diploma in Fine Art. She has participated in group exhibitions in Singapore as well as in the Pulau Ketam International Art Festival in 2016.

2018 Most Promising Artist of the Year, Thailand

Rhythm of Transformation No. 4
Chaichana Luetrakun
In Rhythm of Transformation No. 4, the artist looks into the lifespan of an automobile in his depiction of a scrap yard filled with derelict metal. New vehicles that start out shiny and fresh get worn down and battered over time, ending up in the same crowded space with used cars of similar fate.

Here, the landscape of junk cars represents the change of humans through time. In the artist’s eyes, he views society as consisting of people with different backgrounds, experiences and memories. He reinterprets the human form through the asymmetrical arrangement of cars to symbolise how humans grow up and become different elements driving a society.

Mr Luetrakun is from Northeast Thailand. He has participated in group exhibitions in Los Angeles, USA in 2018 and is currently studying Fine Arts at the King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand.
What Dreams Are Made Of
Solo Exhibition by
Sunny Chyun

What Dreams Are Made Of – Solo Exhibition by Sunny Chyun

Winner, 2017 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore),
Established Artist Category
Thursday, 20 September 2018 – Friday, 4 November 2018
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place, UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor
Precious gems, eggs, and spider webs – these are some of the recurring images that often appear in Sunny Chyun’s dreams, expressed through her artworks in her first solo exhibition with UOB, What Dreams Are Made Of.

The winner of the 2017 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore) in the Established Artist Category, Sunny examines and celebrates items such as organic cells, spider webs and fireworks through her art by creating intricate patterns that encourage various perspectives – the results are an expression of her emotional experience and the elaborate mapping of her creative process.

Each of the objects featured in Sunny’s works references mental states and life events: the organic cells are presented as symbols of birth and genetic transformation; the fireworks are manifestations of gratitude and victory, and the spider webs are the complex representation of domestic labour.

Sunny uses materials such as gilded thread and sequins in her works not just for their visual appeal, but also to create conversations when they are layered and blended with other types of media such as paint and canvas. Images blend and repeat with variations in colour, shape and material, reflecting the multiple perceptions and interpretations that occupy the artist’s mind. The use of luminescent colours and glow-in-the-dark threads draw the viewer closer to the artworks to reveal the layers of deep, saturated colours.

What Dreams Are Made Of is the outcome of many endless nights and countless experimentation of ideas. Sunny, whose works are often double-sided and seemingly abstract yet figurative in style, invites the viewer to think differently on the things that seem familiar.

2017 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore)

Dyspraxia
Top Winner, Established Artist Category
Dyspraxia explores the combination of elusive perceptions, memories and meanings. Ms Chyun challenges pictorial conventions using the physicality of paint to resonate emotions. The use of Abstract Expressionism creates an imagery that symbolises the anarchic nature of the world that undermines all attempts at understanding it.
Other Artworks on Display
Golden Age
Acrylic, marker pen, glow-in-the-dark thread and embroidery on silkscreened linen
130 x 110 cm
Underneath the Leaves
Acrylic, oil, archival ink and marker pen on perforated canvas
103 x 103 cm
The Day We Felt The Distance
Acrylic, marker pen, digital print and embroidery on linen
170 x 160 cm
Exhilaration (Front)
Acrylic, digital print, fabric paint, marker pen and embroidery on linen
173 x 149cm
Exhilaration (Back)
Acrylic, digital print, fabric paint, marker pen and embroidery on linen
173 x 149cm
Creativity Clusters
Oil paint, corset boning, beading and embroidery on canvas
95 x 86 x 7 cm
Zero Some Gain
Acrylic, digital print, marker pen and machine embroidery on linen
130 x 120cm
Where the Cloud Follows
Acrylic, glow in the dark paint, crystal embellishments and embroidery on silkscreened voile curtain
200 x 106 cm
Shot in the Dark
Acrylic, marker pen, digital print and embroidery on perforated canvas
187 x 150 cm
Vladimir’s Blues (The Day We Felt The Distance Too)
Acrylic, fabric paint, marker pen, archival ink, digital print and embroidery on linen
190 x 145 cm
Lucid Dreaming
Acrylic, digital print, fabric dye and embroidery on linen
81 x 103cm
EggCellent
Acrylic, digital print, fabric dye, beading and embroidery on linen
77 x 98 cm
Think When It Gets Mystical
Acrylic, marker pen, glow-in-the-dark thread and embroidery on silkscreened canvas
105 x 130 cm
Lotus Be Free
Oil, corset boning, wires, beading and embroidery on canvas
90 x 86 x 5 cm
Where the Cloud Floats
Acrylic, fabric dye, crystal embellishments, glow-in-the dark paint and embroidery on silkscreened voile curtain
230 x 200 cm
Sunny Chyun
Sunny Chyun (b. 1979) is a multimedia artist who received her Master of Fine Art from the Korean National University of Arts. Sunny’s art practice is in the tradition of Abstract Expressionism as she explores the tactile quality of materials to evoke emotions and challenge conventional approaches to art-making. Sunny has exhibited in Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States of America, and her works have been collected and commissioned by institutions, foundations and corporations.

Email: sunnychyun@gmail.com
Website: www.sunnychyun.com
Of Craft and Carving
Solo Exhibition by
Satoshi Kobayashi

Of Craft and Carving – Solo Exhibition by Satoshi Kobayashi

2016 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore)
Bronze Award, Established Artist Category
Exhibition date: Friday, 3 August 2018 – Monday, 17 September 2018
Exhibition venue: UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place, UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor
Art making is an act of love and labour for Mr Kobayashi Satoshi, the Bronze winner at the 2016 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore) competition, Established Artist Category.

Having discovered and experimented with wood carving, also known as Ukiyo-e, while studying traditional Japanese painting at the Tokyo Art University in Japan, Mr Kobayashi found that wood relief techniques accentuate the expressions and details of subjects more clearly compared to the two-dimensional quality of traditional paintings and images.

Ukiyo-e, a traditional art form developed in Japan since the 17th century, features strongly in Mr Kobayashi’s series of works to express his concepts and debates about the impact of humans and their modern lifestyles on primitive labour for traditional farming. Here, Mr Kobayashi focuses on carving the anatomies of the human bodies as if they were a part of nature. Upon closer scrutiny, his works reveals the symbiotic relationship between human and nature. Both are inherently and intrinsically linked, for humans rely on nature for sustenance, and nature, too, requires the labour of humans to irrigate, sow and harvest the lands.

Winning Artwork

The Producer
2016 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore)
Bronze Award, Established Artist Category
The Producer depicts a primitive way of life in a contemporary setting. MrKobayashi was influenced by Singapore’s approach of a garden within a city – nature in competition with modern society. Through this piece, he hopes to express the dynamics of life that still exist, but are faintly visible in modern society.
Other Artworks on Display
Sower II
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
180 x 120 cm
Sower I
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
85 x 60.5 cm
Selfie (Nature’s Gift)
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
180 x 120 cm
Full Moon
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
91 x 116 cm
The Good Life
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
91 x 91 cm
Allegory of Cave
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
91 x 91 cm
Spirals of Life
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
116 x 116 cm
Crop
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
160 x 122 cm
Man of Nature
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
142 x 112 cm
The Sun
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
50 x 50 cm
Reason
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
33 x 26 cm
Man of Forest
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
100 x 220 cm
Raccoon
Low relief on wooden board, watercolour and oil-based ink
60 x 120cm
Kobayashi Satoshi
Mr Kobayashi Satoshi (b. 1981) is the Bronze Award winner at the 2016 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore) competition, Established Artist Category. He received his Master’s Degree in Traditional Japanese Painting at the Tokyo Art University in 2007. He has participated in various art exhibitions in Japan and was a finalist at the Ueno Royal Museum Award. He currently teaches Fine Art at the Japanese Secondary School in Singapore.
Evocation of Space
Solo Exhibition by
Tan Rui Rong (谭 瑞 荣)

Evocation of Space (意象空间) by Tan Rui Rong (谭 瑞 荣)

2018 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore)
Silver Award, Emerging Artist Category
Tan Rui Rong (谭 瑞 荣)
28 June to 30 July 2018
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place, UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor
UOB Art Gallery is proud to present 18 artworks by Mr Tan Rui Rong, 2013 UOB Painting of the Year Silver Award winner (Established Artist Category) as its next artist showcase.

Evocation of Space explores the artist’s perspective on the richness of life in Singapore, where the East converges with the West, and the traditional co-exists with the modern way of living. Mr Tan’s signature style is displayed through the use of large format Chinese characters and visual metaphors to convey his ideas. What appears to be the use of traditional calligraphy ink brush strokes on paper is actually intricate acrylic paint on canvas upon closer look, displaying a harmonious union of old traditions with new approaches.

Winning Artwork

Beyond the Mountain II
Acrylic on canvas
121 x 161 cm
There is a saying by BuddhismMaster Qing Yuan Wei Xin “见山不是山” (themountain you see is not a mountain), which explains the difference between whatthe eyes see and physical reality. In this painting, MrTan questions the fate of the new generation. The Chinese character “山” (mountain)is a representation of the obstacles that the child in the painting will facelater in life.
Other Artworks on Display
Mountain, Not
Acrylic on canvas
76 x 102 cm
Mountain, Not
Acrylic on canvas
76 x 102 cm
The Deconstruction of Stars
Acrylic on canvas
91 x 122 cm
Tan Rui Rong
Mr Tan Rui Rong (b. 1963) holds a Master of Arts in Chinese Language and Literature from Beijing Normal University and a Diploma in Arts from Guizhou Art School. Other than pursuing his artistic passion, he is the Chief Editor of 源 (Yuan), a mainstream Chinese language magazine in Singapore and an editorial consultant to the Singapore Arts magazine. Mr Tan is a lecturer with the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), and is a committee member at the Federation of Arts Societies (Singapore) and Singapore Literature Society. He is also the vice chairman of the Arts Theatre of Singapore Ltd, and was a judge for several national writing competitions in Singapore, including the Singapore University Literature Award and Annual Outstanding Literary Award. Mr Tan had previously received the Highly Commended award at the 19th UOB Painting of the Year competition, and his winning artwork at the 32nd UOB Painting of the Year competition was chosen to be on the cover of the 2013 UOB Annual Report.
2017 UOB Painting of the Year Regional Winning Paintings’ Showcase
2017 UOB Painting of the Year Regional Winning Paintings’ Showcase
16 November 2017 – 28 February 2017
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place
UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor

United Overseas Bank (UOB) presented the 2017 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year award to a Thai artist, Sukit Choosri, for his painting titled One Life. This is the first time that a Thai artist has won the award since the regional competition was first held in 2013.

Mr Choosri’s painting which depicts the transience of life resonated strongly with a panel of established art experts from Southeast Asia.

2017 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year

One Life
Mr Sukit Choosri
The quiet but visually compelling artwork resonated with the judges for its portrayal of the uncertainty that young Thais have towards their future, amid an increasingly competitive economic landscape. The judges commended Mr Choosri’s intricate attention to detail in the painting, where the fleeting nature of life is portrayed in the different stages of a decaying Bodhi tree. They noted Mr Choosri’s painstaking technique of using a small round brush to apply tempera, a form of powdered pigment and acrylic paint.

Mr Choosri said using tempera reflects his faith and belief that patience and perseverance will overcome one’s fear of the unknown. The artwork seeks to encourage people to reflect upon themselves and see beyond the immediate form of their lives. Change, both positive and negative, is inevitable. The artist also hopes for viewers to remain open-minded and to embrace all forms of changes in our lives to learn and to achieve wisdom.

2018 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year, Singapore

Dyspraxia
Sunny Chyun
Ms Sunny Chyun was presented the Singapore 2017 UOB Painting of the Year award for her linen artwork titled Dspraxia. The judges were impressed by the artwork’s details which consisted of various embroidered patterns created with a mix of threads, acrylic, oil and glow-in-the-dark paint. Ms Chyuan’s work explores the combination of perceptions, memories and inference while challenging pictorial conventions by using paint on linen to reflect her emotions.

Established Artist Category, Singapore
Gold Award

Triumph Over Heavy Blows
Abu Jalal Bin Sarimon
Mr Sarimon’s award-winning artwork carries a positive message of overcoming adverse circumstances, especially when one is under public scrutiny. The strong background in crimson red sets the tone for the fiery situations that world leaders have to deal with constantly. The bruised eyes in the artwork’s protagonists signify that the journey may be challenging but the glory in moving on and recovering from the blows will be worth the effort.

Established Artist Category, Singapore
Silver Award

Movement of Earth
Byun Si Jae
Movement of Earth is a labour of love for Ms Byun Si Jae, who painstakingly worked on this piece of sheer silk work over a period of three years. Using ink and acrylic, Ms Byun focuses on the relationship between architecture and nature; and how a space can be transformed by layering upon nature; or when new architecture is introduced to nature.

Established Artist Category, Singapore
Bronze Award

Lu Xun: Truth
Green Zeng
Green Zeng’s Lu Xun: Truth plays on the idea of perspective when dealing with the truth. An image of Lu Xun, considered as one of China’s greatest modern writer, falls gently on the school uniform.I

n Green Zeng’s artistic language, the blackboard is a constant choice for him to share his viewpoints. The medium also carries the message that education institutions play an important role in communicating ideas; however, the interpretations of these ideals depend on the recipients and the environment in which they grew up in.

Emerging Artist Category, Singapore

Three Worlds
Yang Kaiwen
Yang Kaiwen (17-year-old) was named the 2017 UOB Painting of the Year, Most Promising Artist of the Year for her artwork, Three Worlds. The surrealistic play on perspectives and depth showcases Ms Yang’s maturity and deftness in her technique.

Visit the UOB Art Gallery to view the best of the Singapore and regional award-winning artworks from the 2017 UOB Painting of the Year. The exhibition showcase will end on 28 February 2017.

The Art of Leo
l 狮情画意
Solo exhibition by
Leo Liu Xuanqi

The Art of Leo l 狮情画意

UOB Painting of the Year Winner’s Series
2012 UOB Painting of the Year, Platinum Award Winner
Visit the UOB Art Gallery to catch Leo Liu’s solo art exhibition featuring works from his award-winning Wandering Cloud and Stone Lion series.

Through The Art of Leo exhibition, Liu plays with the contrast and ideas between the permanence and the temporal, where he explores an ongoing reflection of identity embedded within the Chinese traditional and Singapore’s early Nanyang culture.

‍The Art of Leo is a culmination of gratitude and sentiment towards Singapore; and signifies Liu’s tribute to his adopted home, Singapore – The Lion City.

Winning Artwork

Wandering Cloud
2012 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore),
Platinum Award 
In his “Cloud” series, Liu plays with the idea of permanence and the temporal, and explores the tension that arises at the crossroads of rapid globalisation. It is a symbol of freedom, transitory and impermanence, reflecting the current rapid development of the world. It has a strong contrast with static and realistic objects.
Other Artworks on Display
Wandering Cloud: Observation / 观。云
122cm x 100cm
Acrylic and charcoal on water paper
Splendour І锦绣
122cm x 85cm
Acrylic and charcoal on water paper
Dance of the Lion #1 / 舞狮 #1
95cm x 95cm
Acrylic and charcoal on water paper
Dance of the Lion #2 / 舞狮 2
95cm x 95cm
Acrylic and charcoal on water paper
Wandering Cloud: Dreams / 梦云
95cm x 95cm
Acrylic and charcoal on water paper
Leo Liu Xuan Qi (刘轩齐)
Leo Liu Xuan Qi (刘轩齐) left his decade-long career as an art director in the field of design and advertising to pursue art full-time. He moved to Singapore in 2006.

With his background as a graphic designer, Liu explores objects and elements from traditional Chinese ink paintings, icons and imageries in eastern cultures. Through his art, Liu fuses these ideas with contemporary designs, merging the east and west by adopting a different artistic expression through his interpretation of traditional media, elements and designs.

Liu’s works are exhibited and well-received in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and the United States. He has received various awards such as the 2012 Platinum Award from the 31st UOB Painting of the Year, Singapore and was selected as one of the finalists in the Dr. Tan Tsze Chor Art Award(Singapore) for year 2012 and 2014.
Explorations
Solo exhibition by
Yoko Choi

Explorations

A Contemporary Ink Exhibition by Yoko Choi
Dance of Life
Permanent ink on silk
120 x 200 cm
The exhibition, Explorations, showcases Yoko Choi’s recent artworks that reflect a period of awakening and growth in her life.

This contemporary ink exhibition explores the notion of order and change, which constantly shapes and modifies our world. Born in Hong Kong, Yoko has always had a keen awareness of the relationship between nature and the man-made world. With an approach that is visual yet intuitive, the artist maps the process of change by layering thousands of repetitive strokes using permanent ink marker on Chinese rice paper, allowing her hands and eyes to surrender to the subconscious, while remaining fully mindful in the process.

The resulting artworks feature impressive compositions evoking urbanscapes, mountains, oceans and imaginative spaces – revealing that between the known and the unknown, the conscious and subconscious, lie unlimited possibilities.
Other Artworks on Display
Series I: The Beginning
This body of work meditates on architecture, modules, landscapes and perspectives to create immersive and infinite worlds of imagination.
Perspective
Permanent ink on Chinese rice paper
120 x 200 cm
Starry Night
Permanent ink on Chinese rice paper
150 x 210 cm
Series II: Third Spaces
Universal orders are disturbed by constant changes. Sometimes, the process of change creates a third space – an undefined space – with unlimited possibilities. These spaces flow, transform or change again, until they become redundant, wasted or abundant. This series of work explores these “third spaces”, both imaginative and realistic.
Starry Night
Permanent ink on Chinese rice paper
93 x 93 cm
Vernacular
Permanent ink on Chinese rice paper
72 x 72 cm
Trace
Permanent ink on Chinese rice paper
79 x 148 cm
Series III: Contemplations
Working continuously from the first stroke to the last, the artist completed each piece without rest to keep the conscious mind from interfering – allowing her hands and eyes to surrender to the subconscious, yet being fully aware and mindful in the process.
Sailing
Permanent ink on Chinese rice paper
67 x 137 cm
Convergence
Permanent ink on Chinese rice paper
72 x 72 cm
Contemplations
Permanent ink on Chinese rice paper
80 x 80 cm
Series IV: Making a Mark
Blending permanent ink marker with traditional Chinese ink, this series experiments between the mechanical rigidity of pen and the fluidity of Chinese ink, bringing a unique experience of cross-disciplinary freedom in ink expressions.
River City
Permanent ink and on Chinese rice paper
72 x 79 cm
Yoko Choi (蔡志美)
Yoko Choi (蔡志美) is the winner of the 2016 UOB Painting of the Year, Most Promising Artist, Singapore.

A former architect in Hong Kong, she relocated to Singapore in 2013 and pursued a Diploma of Fine Art at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, where she received the 2016 Best Graduate Award.Yoko is a multi-disciplinary artist, whose work focuses on issues centred around society and humanity. She strongly believes that art can heal, and her vision is to help people – especially needy children – to heal through the art making process.Yoko’s artworks have been exhibited at international art events and venues such as Art Stage Singapore 2017 and UOB Art Space in Hong Kong respectively.
A Moment in Time
Solo exhibition by
Carey Ngai

A Moment in Time

UOB Painting of the Year Winners’ Series
Carey Ngai
Three-time Winner of the UOB Painting of the Year competition
2016 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore) Award Winner, Established Category
Carey invites viewers to experience first-hand poignant scenes, places and objects as seen through his eyes. Expressed through the medium of oil on canvas in Carey’s signature Classical Realism style, A Moment in Time features detailed sketches and three splendid series of life-like artworks – the Industry series on machines and workspaces, Forest series, and a special series, Life in Still.

Winning Artwork

Industry 2.0 III
2016 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore)
Top Winner, Established Artist Category
Through Industry2.0 III, Mr Ngai expresses his views on the progress of society and its implications. As society progresses, automated machineries that were once relied upon heavily for work and development are being eliminated and forgotten. Similarly, humans, who play an important role in the development of society, will eventually be replaced by artificial intelligence.
Other Artworks on Display
Grandeur
Oil on canvas
150 x 135 cm
A Tools Man’s Memory II
Oil on canvas
135 x 150 cm
Prelude I
Ink on paper
35 x 25 cm
Cutting Edge
Oil on canvas
108 x 80 cm
Purple Rain
Oil on canvas
68 x 80 cm
Ann Siang Hill
Oil on canvas
171 x 91 cm
Carey Ngai
Mr Carey Ngai is the 2016 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore) winner. Born into a family of artists, Carey spent his early years learning art at the Guangzhou College of Fine Arts, studying Chinese brush painting.
Tang and Tranquillity
Solo exhibition by
Tang Kok Soo

Tang and Tranquillity

UOB Painting of the Year Winners’ Series
Tang Kok Soo
12 April – 19 May 2017
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place, UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor
Explore the colourful worlds of Mr Tang Kok Soo through his Tang and Tranquility exhibition at the UOB Art Gallery.

Mr Tang Kok Soo won the Gold Award, Established Artist Category at the 2016 UOB Painting of the Year (POY), Singapore for his painting Elephants Crossing the Water.

A firm believer that every artist’s moral character and qualities shape the art they create, Mr Tang focuses on painting with a clear and conscious mind. He also believes that art has the power to leave a positive mark on society, and channels positivity into all his works.

The exhibition showcases a range of mixed media paintings from Mr Tang’s signature Stone series and nostalgic watercolour series.

Winning Artwork

Elephants Crossing the Water
Mixed Media on canvas
UOB Art Collection
Elephants Crossing the Water is also the inspiration for the design of the 2016 UOB Annual Report. In this painting, Mr Tang applied the attentive use of pencil, charcoal, watercolour and Chinese ink to mirror the composure of an elephant herd in their river-crossing.
Other Artworks on Display
Thriving
Mixed media
120 x 160 cm
Gazing At
Mixed Media
172 x 132cm
Happy Family
Mixed media
130 x 130 cm
Cattle Stockmen
Mixed media
120 x 160 cm
Convergence
Watercolour on paper
128 x 94 cm
A Colourful World
Watercolour on paper
128 x 94 cm
Tang Kok Soo
Mr Tang Kok Soo won the Gold Award, Established Artist Category at the 2016 UOB Painting of the Year for his work, Elephants Crossing the Water. Mr Tang has been an avid painter since his teenage years when he first started exploring with watercolour and oil on canvas. A former engineer, Mr Tang made the move to become a full-time artist in 2013.He has since participated in many art exhibitions, including Art Stage Singapore 2017 and Affordable Art Fair in 2015. Mr Tang is also a member of the Singapore Watercolour Society.
2016 UOB Painting of the Year Regional Winning Paintings’ Showcase
2016 UOB Painting of the Year Regional Winning Paintings’ Showcase
9 November 2018 – 9 February 2019
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place
UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor

In the 35th edition of the UOB Painting of the Year competition, UOB presented the 2016 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year award to Indonesian artist, Mr Gatot Indrajati.

Winning Artwork

Right or Wrong My Home
Mr Gatot Indrajati
The winning artwork, titled Right or Wrong My Home, was found by the regional judging panel to showcase an “innovative use of wood” resulting in a “visually compelling and contemporary art work” with wood carving – a traditional Indonesian art form – and paint. Infusing pop culture, current events and Indonesians’ wry sense of humour and resilience attitude, Right or Wrong My Home carried the representation of the passion and patriotism held by Indonesians of their beloved country.

All four regional winning pieces depict figurative renders of the common places and things; yet they are represented in a manner that invites the viewers to engage with the artists’ inner sentiments about their paintings’ subjects.

UOB Painting of the Year Singapore

Industry 2.0 III
Mr Carey Ngai
Mr Carey Ngai, a UOB Painting of the Year alumni artist, won the 2016 UOB Painting of the Year award for his “realistic art piece” in the form of his oil on canvas painting titled Industry 2.0 III. The Singapore panel of judges was won over by the 49-year-old’s use of shades and colours in his winning piece, which carried the mood of nostalgia.

Established Category
Gold Award

Elephants Crossing the Water
Tang Kok Soo
In Mr Tang Kok Soo’s Elephants Crossing the Water, the Singapore team of judges found the work intriguing and inspiring. The artwork invites the viewer to look closer into not just the innate characteristics of elephants– resilience, loyalty to family, stamina and strong mental faculties; they are also prompted to consider the metaphoric symbolism of the herd of elephants – strength and wisdom.  Through the illustration of the stone’s perceived heaviness dissolving into lightness when stacked together – the artist’s positive message speaks of how when people come together to work towards a common goal or to solve a problem, these barriers or obstacles will be overcome.

Established Category
Silver Award

Ah Ma’s Kitchen
Mr Yeo Tze Yang
Ah Ma’s Kitchen paints a familiar scene of a Singapore landscape – a common Housing Board Development kitchen which draws on the collective memories from the past and present. Mr Yeo Tze Yang’s paternal grandmother, whom he fondly calls Ah Ma in Hokkien (a local dialect), is not represented as the subject of the artwork, yet everything about the painting is of her. The painting pulls on the viewer’s senses and evokes a common, heartwarming response from the viewers of having visited or lived in such a familiar scene. Mr Yeo’s choice of distortions in his artwork, as opposed to merely rendering his artwork using clean, straight lines attests to the artist’s experience and perspective of space.

Established Category
Bronze Award

The Producer
Mr Kobayashi Satoshi
Mr Kobayashi Satoshi’s inspiration for The Producer came about from his time living in Singapore. The Producer juxtaposes the primitive way of farming and nurturing crops in competition of the needs and demands from modern society.

The artwork is of an elaborate, graphic and decorative artwork, with its main uniqueness as a surface relief art piece. The depressions and elevations of the carving are deepened through the layers of colours used, showcasing a form of dynamism within the mixed media artwork.

Emerging Category

The winning artworks for the Singapore’s emerging category were interestingly very different in techniques, genre and medium yet, each artist was trying to convey a similar message: the exploration of relationships among people, space and objects.
Singapore
Yoko Choi
City Wandering
Most Promising Artist of the Year
Ariel Dong
Self-Portrait
Shirly Koh
Gentle Shades of Blue Beyond…
Ryan Lim
Smithereens

Most Promising Artists of the Year – Regional

Please visit the UOB Art Gallery, Singapore to view the 2016 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year as well as the Most Promising Artists’ artworks from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

The exhibition will end on 1 February 2017.
Ketsakda Wimolsong
Effect of Consumerism
Ng Kok Leong
Busy With…
Ignasius Dicky Takndare
Khanikla Mey Moyo Yarate Ate (They Have Taken Our Belonging)
Joy²
Solo exhibition by
Aaron Gan

Joy²

2015 UOB Painting of the Year,
Gold Award (Established Artist Category)
Aaron Gan
7 October – 4 November 2016
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place, UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor
The Joy² art exhibition is a continuation of Joy, Mr. Aaron Gan’s first solo exhibition at the UOB Art Gallery. Held from 1-30 September 2016, the Joy art exhibition was a resounding success, with all the artworks sold at the end of the exhibition.

In the Joy² art exhibition, the artworks also feature birds in Mr. Gan’s signature watercolour painting style. The bird in each artwork reflects a unique moment or an emotion experienced by Mr Gan, and every bird glancing backwards serves as a reminder to Mr. Gan himself to stay rooted and to be grateful to the people who have helped him.
Other Artworks on Display
Jewels
Watercolour on paper
76 x 28 cm
Zest
Watercolour on paper
76 x 28 cm
Elegance
Watercolour on paper
76 x 28 cm
Aaron Gan
Mr Aaron Gan is the 2015 UOB Painting of the Year, Gold Award (Established Artist Category), Singapore winner for his painting Starry Starry Night. Born in 1979, Mr Gan has carved a niche for himself with his exuberant and innovative watercolour painting style. Following his successful debut exhibition in 2013, he was invited to several international showcases, and his artworks have been commissioned by both private and public sector organisations.
Of Joy and Watercolours
Solo exhibition by
Aaron Gan

Of Joy and Watercolours

2015 UOB Painting of the Year,
Gold Award (Established Artist Category)
Aaron Gan
1 – 30 September 2016
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place, UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor
Joy celebrates the progression and achievements Mr Gan has found along his journey as a full-time artist.

Departing from the monochromatic style of his first solo show in 2015, Mr Gan’s paintings in Joy carry a cheerful and whimsical theme, with bursts of colours reflecting the joyous events and positive developments in his career and life.

Featuring Mr Gan’s signature watercolour techniques in long-scroll, Chinese-stylised paintings, Joy is an articulation and showcase of freedom and humility through the artist’s eyes.

Winning Artwork

Starry Starry Night
Watercolour on paper
103 x 68 cm
This painting is inspired by the great beauty of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, which was painted by the Dutch artist while in an asylum. Through this painting, Mr Gan offers a message of hope, reminding viewers that the stars shine at their brightest during the darkest hours.
Other Artworks on Display
Joy
Watercolour on paper
56 x 56 cm
Collection
Watercolour on paper
76 x 28 cm
Celebrate
Watercolour on paper
76 x 28 cm
Ponder
Watercolour on paper
76 x 28 cm
Aaron Gan
Mr Aaron Gan is the 2015 UOB Painting of the Year, Gold Award (Established Artist Category), Singapore winner for his painting Starry Starry Night. Born in 1979, Mr Gan has carved a niche for himself with his exuberant and innovative watercolour painting style. Following his successful debut exhibition in 2013, he was invited to several international showcases, and his artworks have been commissioned by both private and public sector organisations.
Sensibility In Art: Southeast Asia and the Local Paradigm
Sensibility In Art: Southeast Asia and the local paradigm
9 November 2018 – 9 February 2019
UOB Art Gallery, 80 Raffles Place
UOB Plaza 1, Ground Floor

In the 35th edition of the UOB Painting of the Year competition, UOB presented the 2016 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year award to Indonesian artist, Mr Gatot Indrajati.

Sensibility in art relates to emotions and feelings. It also relates to how we perceive meaning from looking at an artwork.
Highland II
Thang Kiang How
There are two basic ways to appreciate an artwork, the formal and the contextual. The formal refers to our visual understanding of what is graphic and visual: such as line, colour and shape. Broadly, the contextual means using other information at hand such as the story behind the work, anecdotes of the artist’s life or the time in which the artwork was made, to add to our appreciation of the art object. As viewers, we take time to look at an object, observe its visual qualities and we make meaning from a combination of information and our own observations.
Animals’ Kingdom
Andrea Yap En Rui
In Southeast Asia, we can also associate sensibility to the spiritual (something we cannot see, only feel). The spiritual (not necessarily religious) is prominent in the arts and culture of Southeast Asia. For example, the broad definition of ‘semangat’ in Malay means ‘keep spirit’ or ‘spirit’. From this we understand that souls and spirits inhabit animate and inanimate objects, and contribute to or participate in, the general forces of nature and of life itself.
Kampong Lane
Lim Cheng Hoe
The notion of sensibility therefore posits that we find meaning and feeling in both formal and contextual terms of art-making and art objects. More importantly, sensibility in relation to the Southeast Asian concept of ‘semangat’ is closely aligned to that of reciprocity. As viewers of an art object, it matters as much, what information resides in the object as what we, as living beings, bring to it.

‍The 15 paintings by Singapore artists in this exhibition are drawn from the UOB Art Collection that comprises more than 2,300 artworks. They include significant works by Singapore’s early masters such as Mr Cheong Soo Pieng and Mr Anthony Poon, and by winners of the UOB Painting of the Year competition.
Dr. Bridget Tracy Tan
Dr. Bridget Tracy Tan is Director for the Institute of Southeast Asian Arts and Art Galleries at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. In March 2005, her book “Style & Imagination: Art in the Nanyang Academy” featuring highlights of the academy’s collection and its regional significance was published. To date, she has written books and essays on the work of Cultural Medallion artists, such as Chua Ek Kay, Lim Tze Peng, Ang Ah Tee, Chng Seok Tin, Han Sai Por, Thomas Yeo, Ng Eng Teng and Yip Cheong Fun as well as pioneer and master artist, Cheong Soo Pieng. In 2011, Select Books published the debut ‘Women Artists in Singapore’ book that she wrote, as commissioned by the National Heritage Board.

From 1996 to January 2004, Dr. Tan was a curator at the Singapore Art Museum. While at the museum she specialized in acquisitions and researching Second Generation Singapore artists, the art of Vietnam, Malaysia and India. Today, she continues her work with Southeast Asian art and artists, through workshops, research, publications and exhibitions.

Dr. Tan graduated with a Master of Arts, obtaining First Class Honours in Art History from the University of Glasgow in Scotland. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Chelsea College of Art, London, focusing on practice-led research as a curator and critical art historian in Southeast Asia.
Vision and Visionaries
Solo exhibition by
Benjamin F Cruz

Vision and Visionaries

2015 UOB Painting of the Year (POY),
Singapore winner (Established Artist category)
In Mr Benjamin F Cruz’s paintings, familiar landscapes morph into surreal worlds on canvas.

In Vision and Visionaries, realistic-abstract painting techniques convey the distorted images of real-life objects and actual locations which are layered with depictions from a different realm.

Winning Artwork

Building…
2015 UOBPainting of the Year (Singapore)
Top Winner, Established Artist Category
This painting depicts the construction of a building as it takes on shape, form and permanence, finally overshadowing its environment to become the subject. In its final form, it is symbolic of Mr Cruz’s impression of Singapore, where skyscrapers dominate.

Mr Cruz’s play on dimensionality and layering invites the viewers to familiar yet strange surroundings. Swirled up in a mix of colours, shapes and lines we see common landmarks and objects, and human forms. Viewers are invited to step away from reality and dive into wondrous imaginary worlds.
Other Artworks on Display
Sentosa Cable Car
Benjamin F Cruz
Sago Lane
Benjamin F Cruz
Benjamin F Cruz
Mr Benjamin F Cruz is the 2015 UOB Painting of the Year (POY), Singapore winner (Established Artist category) for his painting titled Building ….Born in 1954, Mr Cruz is a multi-award winning visual artist both in the Philippines and Singapore. He has a degree in advertising and pursued painting alongside a career in graphic design. His achievements include five commendations in previous UOB POY competitions.
Now retired from the advertising world, he is painting full-time and is currently focused on creating realistic-abstract art.
Sky Deep
Group exhibition by
Pathlight School

Sky Deep

An exhibition by the Artist Development Programme, Pathlight School and Alumni supported by the UOB Art Gallery.

This exhibition celebrates the talents and uniqueness of persons with autism. Their works of art – impressively large, or humbly small – offer more than skin-deep glimpses of their creators.

See more and understand more through the unbridled expressions of the artists: dive deeper into how they play, learn and do pretty much everything that anyone else would enjoy doing.

We hope that with this showcase you will be drawn closer to understanding persons with autism. Ultimately, we all live under the same piece of sky.

Support Inclusion. Celebrate Abilities.

About Artist Development Programme (ADP)

Play
Ezra Chan
2015 UOB Painting of the Year,
Most Promising Artist of the Year, Emerging Artist Category
Play represents a world in which Mr Chan can play all his favourite games while drawing and painting. At the same time, he recalls the places he visits, the logos and brand she sees and the sounds he hears.
Other Artworks on Display
Asian Elephant
Keegan Teo
Whale Family
Hairil Hady
2015 UOB Painting of the Year Regional Winning Paintings’ Showcase

2015 UOB Painting of the Year Regional Winning Paintings’ Showcase

UOB presented the 2015 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year award to Indonesian artist, Mr Anggar Prasetyo, for his painting titled Exploitation of Fish. It depicts the disregard for environmental consequences of overfishing, which has vastly depleted the ocean’s reserves. The combination of different techniques such as moulding, spraying and acrylic painting results in an embossed design and a relief effect on the painting’s flat canvas. The UOB Painting of the Year awards ceremony was held on 4 November 2015 at the historic Capitol Theatre.

The painting impressed the judges with its innovative technique and strong narrative on the erosion of natural resources conveyed through the use of symbols. The 42-year old’s winning painting was among the four winning entries from the 2015 UOB Painting of the Year country competitions held in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. This is the second consecutive year that an Indonesian artist has won the top regional award.

UOB’s commitment to art began in Singapore more than 40 years ago, which later extended to across Southeast Asia as the Bank built its network in the region. Its flagship UOB Painting of the Year programme underscores this commitment.

Please visit UOB Plaza One at 80 Raffles Place, Singapore to view the 2015 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year as well as the rest of the winning paintings from the competition.
Passages
Group exhibition by
Alvin Ong and Esmond Loh

Passages

Group exhibition by Alvin Ong and Esmond Loh
Passages examines time and space as experienced in the context of modern-day Singapore. The paintings in this exhibition are the reflections and memories of the personal encounters and collective histories of emerging Singapore artists Alvin Ong and Esmond Loh.

Individual frames within the passage of time are captured and extracted into painted compositions, such as a close encounter during the morning rush hour, a poignant moment as a nation unites in grief, or a timeless second of solitude. Through these paintings, the artists invite the audience to think about what makes a moment in time significant.

Iconic scenes are counterbalanced with feelings of displacement as each artist introduces fresh looks to familiar narratives. For Alvin, his body of work journals his interpretation of Singapore through archival photos and video stills. Esmond takes a more intimate approach, assembling characters close to him by projecting them onto a timeless void and examining their lives as detached individuals.

The highly-detailed portraits alternate between distance and familiarity –  shifts that are daily occurrences in Singapore’s fast-paced environment. Viewers are invited to reimagine the moments portrayed in the paintings and plot their own journey through the passage of time.

Winning Artwork

2012 UOB Painting of the Year, Singapore
Just Let Me Sleep
Esmond Loh
Oil and acrylic on canvas
170 x 120 cm
Just Let Me Sleep is a self-portrait created at a time when the artist's life was plagued by exhaustion and a loss of direction. The gestured nature of the strokes used to compose the face aims to bring out the chaos of the mind.

With no preconceived image of his painting, Mr Loh adopted an experimental approach, painting with creative impulse. The technique used was developed on its own during the process. The free exploration was a form of liberation for the artist.

Winning Artwork

2012 UOB Painting of the Year, Singapore
Just Let Me Sleep
Esmond Loh
Oil and acrylic on canvas
170 x 120 cm
Just Let Me Sleep is a self-portrait created at a time when the artist's life was plagued by exhaustion and a loss of direction. The gestured nature of the strokes used to compose the face aims to bring out the chaos of the mind.

With no preconceived image of his painting, Mr Loh adopted an experimental approach, painting with creative impulse. The technique used was developed on its own during the process. The free exploration was a form of liberation for the artist.
Other Artworks on Display
Timeless
Esmond Loh
When We Get to the Other Side
Alvin Ong
Esmond Loh
Esmond Loh is an artist working primarily in painting. He is currently in the process of exploring various painting styles and other artistic media. He had his first solo show, Generations at Chan Hampe Galleries in 2014.

He was the winner of the 31st UOB Painting of the Year competition and has showcased his works in two exhibitions for the UOB Painting of the Year winners. Other group shows include Creation – an exhibition by Saint Joseph’s Institution Old Boys 2013, Spectrum Art Elective Programme Exhibition 2013, and the Singapore Youth Festival Arts and Craft Exhibition 2012.
Alvin Ong
Alvin Ong is a contemporary artist who works with historical and cinematic material, fluidly recombining these pictorial sources in his paintings as explorations of memory, loss and nostalgia. At the age of 16, he was the youngest winner of Singapore’s prestigious art prize, the United Overseas Bank (UOB) Painting of the Year award and a year later, he had his first solo exhibition in the presence of His Excellency President S. R. Nathan at the Jendela, Esplanade.

He has since exhibited in group shows at the Singapore Art Museum (2007, 2012 and 2013).

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (2007), ARTSingapore: The Contemporary Asian Art Fair at Suntec City (2010), Altering Alvar Aalto (2010) at the Asian Civilisations Museum, and Great Peranakans: 50 Remarkable Lives (2015) at the Peranakan Museum.

A former architecture student at National University of Singapore, he is now reading Fine Art in the Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford.
Colour of Mind
Solo exhibition by
Om Mee Ai

Colour of Mind

Winner of the 2014 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore) competition
In this exhibition titled Colour of Mind, Om Mee Ai presents 14 artworks including her winning painting from the 2014 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore) competition.

Through the exhibition, Mee Ai wants the viewers to think about the colour of their minds. She is particularly keen to explore the effect of colours on emotions and the ways in which different individuals respond to and perceive the same visual.

Mee Ai has always been interested in the emotional representation of colours. Her unique art process is based on a meticulous and repetitive painting technique that creates abstract visual effects with various colour combinations. Through her artworks, she hopes to attract the curiosity of her viewers and stimulate their emotional response.
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“We often say that a certain colour is our favourite but is that colour the same in the mind of different people? What is the colour of your mind? ” – Om Mee Ai
Om Mee Ai
Om Mee Ai is the Singapore winner of the 2014 UOB Painting of the Year Award (Established Artist Category).

Her winning work, titled N-PIN56L, is based on her imagination of a starry night sky. The painting appears monochromatic from a distance but reveals a detailed structure of small skeletal white squares when viewed up close.

Born in Korea, Mee Ai obtained a Master of Fine Art from The Open University in the United Kingdom after graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Art from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University and a Diploma in Fine Art from LASALLE College of the Arts.

Mee Ai’s artworks are part of important collections with various public and private organisations including the Singapore Art Museum, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore, Ministry of Manpower Singapore and United Overseas Bank Group.

Mee Ai now lives and works in two cities in Asia – Hong Kong and Singapore.
City Landscape
Group exhibition by
Chua Say Hua and
Hong Sek Chern

City Landscape

Joint exhibition by Chua Say Hua and Hong Sek Chern
This exhibition, comprising 18 paintings by Chua Say Hua and Hong Sek Chern, is part of an ongoing series by the artists to depict cities through its building structures, both old and new. For Say Hua, his artworks highlight the wear and tear of time on buildings such as old shophouses. Sek Chern views cities as constantly evolving and uses the traditional Chinese ink painting medium to portray the urban sprawl.

Winning Artwork

2007 UOB Painting of the Year, Singapore
Aspects Of The City II
Hong Sek Chern
Ink on paper
180 x 180 cm
Ms Hong splices fragments of the city to form a unique composite, extracting from the space beneath highways, public housing estates, playgrounds and walkways. Internal frames and interstitial spaces are mapped out from multiple viewpoints to form a matrix of the city. Everywhere we see glimpses of piping ducts, iron grids, concrete structures and beams. Melding principles and philosophies from Western art and Chinese ink traditions, Ms Hong reinvigorates the shanshui (mountain/water landscape) genre.
Other Artworks on Display
The Parasol
Hong Sek Chern
About the Roof
Chua Say Hua
Hong Sek Chern
Hong Sek Chern is interested in exploring various themes within urban settings in her paintings. She likes to work with traditional Chinese ink, oil and acrylic, and apply the aesthetic qualities that these mediums offer in her artworks.

Sek Chern has held seven solo exhibitions in Singapore and participated in group exhibitions held locally and overseas. In particular, she was selected to participate in the President Young Artist Show organised by the Singapore Art Museum in 2001 and represented Singapore at the 25th Sao Paolo Biennale in 2002.

For the UOB Painting of the Year competitions, she won top honours in 2007 for her Chinese painting titled Aspects of the City II. In 2014, she received the Gold Award for the Established Artist Category with another Chinese ink artwork called Wait at Terminal 21.

Sek Chern graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1995 with a Diploma in Fine Art. She holds a Master of Arts in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore and a Master of Fine Arts from Goldsmiths College, University of London.
Chua Say Hua
Chua Say Hua works with various art mediums and focuses on painting in Chinese ink, acrylic and collage. He aims to create contemporary interpretations as well as abstract compositions of modern subjects such as urban landscapes and old buildings.

Say Hua has held 12 solo exhibitions in Singapore since 1991 and participated in many group exhibitions held locally and overseas. An innovative painter who constantly challenges the boundaries of traditional media, Say Hua won many art awards including the Most Promising Young Artist award by the Philippe Charriol Foundation in 1993, Juror’s Prize awarded by Philip Morris Group of Companies Singapore Art Awards in 1995, and the first prize in Expressions in Art by Singapore Telecoms in 2001. In 2014, he received the Silver Award for the Established Artist Category with his ink-and-pigment abstract piece titled Wall of Inscriptions.

Say Hua was honoured with The Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council of Singapore in 2001 for his outstanding achievements and contributions to visual arts.

Say Hua received his formative art training in various prestigious art institutions. He graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1992 with a Diploma in Fine Art and went on to receive his Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts (High Distinction) in 1994 from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia. Three years later, he obtained his Postgraduate Certificate in Fine Arts from Goldsmiths College, University of London.
Now
Solo exhibition by
Lester Lee

Now

An exhibition from Lester Lee
Mr. Lester Lee received the Gold Award for Established artists in the 2013 UOB Painting of the Year competition. His winning work titled Vertical Indigo depicts his concerns about the impact that electronic media has on children today.

The 2013 Gold Award is Mr. Lee’s second in the competition. He won the Highly Commended prize in 2011.

Mr. Lee is a painter, sculptor and performing artist. His diverse artistic interests inspire him to take a multi-disciplinary approach in his art creation. He holds a Master of Art (Contemporary Practice) from the University of Huddersfield in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Lester Lee hopes to encourage his audience to explore and to enjoy the beauty of the present through his second solo exhibition titled ‘Now’.

The series of paintings on canvas are rendered in charcoal, acrylic and spray paint. They are inspired by Mr. Lee’s impressions and reflections of everyday happenings around him. The paintings reflect his belief that one should live in the present and not allow past experiences or worries for the future to cloud one’s thoughts.

‍Now is Mr. Lee’s most recent series of work and it is being exhibited for the first time.

His first solo exhibition titled An Installation was held in 2000 in Seattle, Washington in the United States.

Winning Artwork

Digital Vertigo
2013 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore),
Gold Award, Established Artist Category
According to Mr Lee, children today are increasingly reliant on technology. The way they learn, play and communicate is changing and Mr Lee asks us through his painting if the high exposure to electronic media is a good thing. This work reflects Mr Lee’s experience of raising two children and illustrates his concerns with the impact of technology on a developing child.
Other Artworks on Display
Virtuality and Reality (虚与实)
Solo exhibition by
Tan Rui Rong

虚与实 (Virtuality and Reality) A solo exhibition by Tan Rui Rong

虚与实 or Virtuality and Reality, is Mr Tan Rui Rong’s first solo exhibition. Mr Tan counts Eastern philosophy, particularly the school of Zen Buddhism, as one of his greatest inspirations.

By juxtaposing the two series, 虚 (Virtuality) and 实 (Reality), in a single exhibition, Mr Tan hopes to show the duality of perspectives in many situations that we encounter in life. This message is also conveyed through one of his favorite painting styles, where he combines the abstract with the figurative by placing representative images alongside Chinese characters. This theme is seen in his works such as 月出(Rising Moon) and Gazing 山.

Mr Tan is one of the few UOB Painting of the Year alumni to have received two Painting of the Year recognition awards for his work. His first award came in 2000 when he won the Highly Commended prize for his piece titled Deep Feelings which brought to light the Miao tribe’s concern for the younger generation, shown through the custom of handing down silver from the elderly to the young. Last year, Mr Tan received the Silver Award (Established Artist Category) in the 2013 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore) competition for yet another powerful painting titled Gazing 山. Gazing 山 was based on the philosophy of Buddhism Master Qing Yuan Wei Xin and reflects the changing perspectives people have as they progress through different stages in their lives.

Mr Tan discovered his passion for the arts at an early age. With hard work and determination, he earned an opportunity to be trained under famed artists, such as oil painters Xiang Guang (向光) and Jian Ren Yi ( 蹇人毅), at the Guizhou Art School.

A resident of Singapore for more than 20 years, Mr Tan is the editor of Yuan, a Chinese cultural publication of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, as well as an art lecturer at the Singapore Institute of Management University.

Winning Artwork

Gazing "山"
2013 UOB Painting of the Year(Singapore),
Silver Award, Established Artist Category
There is a saying by Buddhism Master Qing Yuan Wei Xin “见山不是山” (the mountain you see is not a mountain), which explains the difference between what the eyes see and physical reality. In this painting, Mr Tan questions the fate of the new generation. The Chinese character “山” (mountain)is a representation of the obstacles that the child in the painting will face later in life.
Other Artworks on Display
Window
Rising Moon
New Horizons
Solo exhibition by
Stefanie Hauger

New Horizons

A solo exhibition by Stefanie Hauger
24 June 2014 to 11 August 2014

New Horizons consists of two series –‘Mandalas’ and ‘Moments’ – described by Ms Stefanie Hauger as the yin and yang of her work. The ‘Mandalas’ series consists of serene and controlled images which draw you in. In contrast, the ‘Moments’ series are edgy, dynamic and complex. Together, they show Ms Hauger’s desire to explore diverse imagery and techniques, and push the boundaries of creativity.

Ms Hauger is no stranger to pushing personal boundaries. In 2011, she stepped away from her lifestyle business Vanilla Home to become a full-time contemporary artist. New Horizons, in many ways, represents a new beginning in Ms Hauger’s journey as an artist.

‍New Horizons is part of a series of exhibitions at the UOB Art Gallery that will feature the latest collections by the UOB Painting of the Year alumni.

Winning Artwork

Space Odyssey
2013 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year Award
2013 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore),
Top Winner, Established Artist Category
Ms Hauger's contemporary interpretation of a mandala, a concentric circular diagram which helps focus attention during meditation, shows an abstract representation of a healthy planet as seen from space. By meditating on the health of the planet, the artist hopes that the viewer's subconscious becomes invigorated by the fresh cool colours and the absence of heat. Ms Hauger says that our current planet is being destroyed and she hopes that her interpretation of a healthy planet will in still in the audience a desire to care for the planet and repair the damage being done.
Other Artworks on Display