Held in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, the UOB Painting of the Year competition has helped to uncover a new generation of Southeast Asian artists and contributed to greater awareness and appreciation of art.

Mr Goh Beng Kwan, one of Singapore’s masters of modern art, was the inaugural winner of the competition in 1982. Mr Goh went on to receive Singapore’s most distinguished art award, the Cultural Medallion, in 1989. Other well-known artist who won the competition are the late Mr Anthony Poon and Mr Chua Ek Kay in 1983 and1991 respectively. Both artists are recipients of the Singapore Cultural Medallion.