Pandemic-themed art emerges tops again

FOR the second year running, poignant paintings reflecting on the pandemic and the environment won big at the annual UOB Painting of the Year.

The overall winner of this year's competition, which received a record number of entries from 4 countries, was Malaysia's Saiful Razman's minimalist work titled Walk In Silence, Don't Walk Away In Silence.

The striking abstract displays a house-like structure against a seemingly rough and dry terrain of grey earth and rock. The house appears pure and peaceful, but also gossamer and fragile - and may not withstand the harshest of elements.

The judges saw the work as a symbolic reflection of humanity's struggle to stay safe in a dangerous time.

Saiful says: "The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on many people around the world and has also led to feelings of isolation becoming more prevalent than ever. Through this work, I wanted to express the absence of sound and the sense of serenity experienced during self-isolation through using mixed media and highly contrasting shades of grey."

Singapore winner

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The top winner in the Established Artist category (Singapore) was Keane Tan with his painting titled A Dramatic Cinematic for Our Century.

The gorgeously detailed painting depicts the Merlion engulfed by crashing blue waves, a symbolic image of the power of nature to wreak havoc on our island.

Drawing inspiration from Hokusai's iconic woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa, Tan sees the waves washing away society's "excesses" and providing an opportunity for reset.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the UOB's Painting of the Year competition, the bank's flagship regional visual arts programme and the longest-running art competition in Singapore.

Many past winners such Goh Beng Kwan, Anthony Poon and Chua Ek Kay have gone on to carve great reputations, culminating in the Cultural Medallion, Singapore's most distinguished art award.

UOB holds the contest in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, where the bank has a strong presence. The winning paintings from across the region are being exhibited at the UOB Art Gallery, UOB Plaza 1 in Singapore, from now till Feb 28, 2022.

As part of this year's anniversary programme, the top prize winners of each country will attend a 1-month residency programme at either the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan or the UOB Art Gallery in Shanghai, China.

Brighter visions

Though the pandemic inspired some somber visions of our future, at least 1 winning work tried to look forward to a slightly brighter future.

Brian Ko, 20, won the Most Promising Artist of the Year Award (Singapore) in the Emerging Artist category for his painting titled Uncertainty of Photovoltaic Cells.

His abstract representation of a black solar panel speaks of humankind's attempts to create more sustainable solutions for the future. But the poorly aligned panels also hint at the carelessness and neglect in making that future a reality, suggesting that we must work harder in our sustainability efforts.

Wee Ee Cheong, deputy chairman and CEO of UOB, says: "Our artists have once again pushed the boundaries of creativity by capturing the fortitude, compassion and resilience of people as they look beyond immediate concerns and find rays of hope for a better future."

• To see the winning works, visit the UOB Art Gallery, UOB Plaza 1 in Singapore, from now till February 2022.