Thai artist scoops UOB Painting of the Year award

A Thai artist yesterday scooped the 41st UOB Painting of the Year award, one of the most prestigious competitions in Southeast Asia.

Bangkok-born artist Chomrawi Suksom claimed the illustrious prize for his painting titled Dystopia and prize money of US$32,000. The work, created in oil, acrylic and foil on canvas artwork, is a detailed depiction of a world undergoing constant change. The careful technique is indicative of the year it took him to make the artwork.

Chomrawi’s victory was announced during a ceremony at the Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore last night. The competition was also livestreamed. The award, sponsored by the United Overseas Bank (UOB), recognised 18 winners in four categories from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

As a result, Chomrawi and the other three country winners get the chance to take part in the one-month residency programme at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan.

Held in four countries in the region, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, the competition first held in 1982 has helped to discover many talented emerging artists and promoted established professionals who have contributed to the development of the Southeast Asian art scene.

UOB’s chief executive officer Wee Ee Cheong announced that next year’s competition will be hosted in Vietnam.

Organisers revealed the award is also moving into the metaverse and all 37 pieces of art submitted to this year’s competition will be installed in the SkyArtverse by UOB, an immersive theme park in the metaverse which also features the artists’ stories.

Organisers added that this year’s entries reflected a collective resilience and hope for the future after the Covid-19 pandemic. Several artists used their works as interpretations of societal issues like environmental sustainability, global tensions, and the impact of history.

This year’s judges included Dr Bridget Tracy Tan from Singapore, Dr Agung Hujatnikajennong from Indonesia, Bibi Chew from Malaysia, and Amit Chusuwan from Thailand.