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UOB Painting of the Year elevates artistic excellence in its 45th edition
An inaugural arts festival will be introduced to bring art closer to the community
Singapore, 4 May 2026 – Now in its 45th year, the UOB Painting of the Year (POY) competition continues to strengthen its standing as one of Southeast Asia’s most prestigious platforms for artistic excellence. Established in 1982, it is Singapore’s longest-running annual art competition and also held in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. UOB is elevating artistic excellence with enhanced criteria for the Established Artist category, to better recognise demonstrated artistic practice and engagement within the art ecosystem.
The revised prerequisites will raise the benchmark for established artists to be assessed alongside peers of similar experience, enabling the competition to celebrate artistic growth and commitment. Artists who plan to submit their artworks under the Established Artist Category will need to fulfil a minimum of three prerequisites below:
- Currently or have been represented by commercial art galleries.
- Sold artworks.
- Participated in a group or solo exhibition.
- Received a grant or commission to create artworks for commercial entities, institutions or any organisation.
- Is a recipient of art-related awards, locally or outside of Singapore.
Mr Wee Ee Cheong, Deputy Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer of UOB, said, “Over the decades, UOB has played a catalytic role in strengthening communities across ASEAN by connecting people, businesses and opportunities across the region. Giving back to the community has long been an integral part of how we operate, with our efforts consistently focused on education, children and the arts. As the UOB Painting of the Year marks its 45th edition, we are launching an arts festival as part of our ongoing efforts to bring art closer to the community. We believe art bridges cultures, deepens mutual understanding and contributes to more inclusive communities.”
Inaugural arts festival to bring art closer to the wider community
To broaden outreach and deepen public engagement with the arts, UOB will launch an inaugural arts festival from end August to early September. The festival will serve as a prelude to the 2026 UOB Painting of the Year Awards Ceremony and Exhibition in October, reinforcing the Bank’s long standing commitment to nurturing artistic talent and making art accessible to the wider community.
As a centrepiece of the festival, Emerging Category semi finalists from UOB POY (Singapore) competition will gain public exposure through a curated exhibition showcasing their competition artworks. The festival will also feature a special showcase of works by UOB POY veteran artists, offering audiences insight into artistic journeys shaped by the competition over the years. Complementing the exhibitions, UOB also plans to host a series of art related workshops and talks for customers and the broader community. Together, these programmes aim to inspire creativity, encourage dialogue, and foster meaningful connections between artists and the public.
For more than four decades, the UOB POY competition has served as a platform to uncover and celebrate artistic talent. To date, the competition has uncovered more than 1,000 artists across the region, of which, seven alumni in Singapore have received the Cultural Medallion award. As the competition marks its 45th year, UOB will continue to strengthen its standing in the region, to celebrate and uplift artists for long-term success beyond the competition, as they contribute to a strong, vibrant community across the region.
Calling for submissions for 45th UOB POY competition
UOB is calling for established and emerging artists to push their creative limits and participate in the 45th UOB POY competition in Singapore. Submissions for the 45th UOB POY (Singapore) competition are open from now till 31 July 2026. All Singapore citizens and permanent residents, aged 16 years old and above, are eligible to submit one artwork online for either the Established or Emerging Artist Category. More details of the submission criteria can be found at UOBandArt.com.
The five country winners from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam will compete for the coveted UOB Southeast Asian POY award, with a prize award of an additional S$13,000 on top of their respective country award prize, and a chance for an overseas residency programme. All Singapore winners and the winner of the 45th UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year will be announced at an awards ceremony in October 2026. The winners from other countries will be announced separately in their own markets before the 2026 UOB POY Awards Ceremony and Exhibition.
