The 25th UOB Painting Of The Year Competition And Exhibition

Competition draws record entries; almost 50% more compared to last year


09 September 2006, Singapore

A record-breaking 1,380 entries from 954 artists were received for the 25th UOB Painting of the Year (POY) Competition. All categories of the competition saw an increase in the number of entries. The overwhelming overall response affirms UOB's commitment and efforts to provide creative opportunities for our local artists to exercise the mind and explore various mediums.

This year’s top prize, the UOB POY Award, went to Namiko Chan Takahashi for her painting entitled Charisse, which is a portrait of a strong, witty and self-assured woman.

“I enjoy painting women more than I do men. I have always been drawn to the inner strength and determination of women of substance. Such people are my heroes in how they celebrate life and meet its challenges with a beautiful, quiet kind of resolve. In making this portrait, I wanted to honour the beauty and triumph of ordinary women living extraordinary lives,” said the 32-year-old art teacher.

On Namiko’s winning work, the panel of judges noted that some contour lines do not correspond with the naturalistic rendition of the human body and this accentuates strong characterisation of the individual, which is an unusual approach to a representational painting. Namiko received a S$20,000 cash prize and a trophy for her winning work.

In this year’s competition, nearly half of the total entries received was for the Junior Section (for age 6 to 12 years) and Youth Section (for age 13 to 18 years), which were recategorised from the original Junior Section (for age 18 years and below).

Mr Kwok Kian Chow, Chief Judge of the competition said, ”We feel that the Youth Section, in particular, is very strong. The overseas judges commented that the great variety of ideas and creativity seen in the Youth Section entries is an encouraging sign for the future of visual arts in Singapore.”

Please refer to Annex 1 (PDF: 260KB) for the full results of this year’s competition.

President S.R. Nathan, the guest-of-honour, presented the prizes and certificates to the winners in an award presentation ceremony held at the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. UOB gave away a total of S$53,500 in cash prizes, as well as trophies and certificates of distinction to the winners of the competition.

Said Mr Wee Ee Cheong, Deputy Chairman and President of UOB Group, who is also the Chairman of the UOB Group Art Committee, “I firmly believe that the annual art competition will continue to encourage and draw out talents. Indeed, a number of past UOB POY winners are now established artists. The record number of artwork submitted underscores the fact that POY is an art competition that is well-recognised. It is also a strong signal of the growing interest Singaporeans have towards art. This is indeed something to celebrate about and we are proud that the UOB POY is able to play a significant role in nurturing budding artists.”

UOB is also proud that the UOB POY Exhibition is participating as a fringe event in the inaugural Singapore Biennale.

“The arts scene has made tremendous strides over the years. The National Arts Council is grateful to the corporate sector for its significant contributions to the growth of the arts. The United Overseas Bank Group has been a regular and
long-term supporter of the arts, particularly through the Painting of the Year Competition and Exhibition. As a fringe event of the Singapore Biennale, it highlights the breadth of local talent in Singapore,” said Mr Lee Suan Hiang, CEO of the National Arts Council.

The 25th UOB Painting of the Year Exhibition

The 21 prize-winning entries and 46 highly commended entries from this year’s competition will be on display during the 25th UOB POY Exhibition with details as follows:

Date: 10-18 September 2006
20-24 September 2006
Venue: Jendala, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Time: 11.00am - 8.30pm (Monday - Friday)
10.00am - 8.30pm (Saturday, Sunday & Public Holiday)


Last year’s UOB POY Award winner, Mr Alvin Ong Liang Jie, will also be displaying his works at the Jendela, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. Alvin is the youngest winner of the prestigious award since the inaugural competition was held 25 years ago in 1982.