UOB invites Viet artists to draw on their creative talent in 2nd UOB Painting of the Year Competition

      This UOB flagship art competition aims to help Viet artists reach wider regional audience.

       

       

      From left to right: Ms Pham Tieu Giang, Team Lead of Strategic Communications and Brand, Associate Professor Dr Nguyen Nghia Phuong, Vice Principal of Vietnam University of Fine Arts, Mr Ma The Anh, Head of Fine Arts Department, Photography and Exhibition, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, Mr Victor Ngo, CEO of UOB Vietnam, Artist Dang Xuan Hoa-Chief Judge, Artist Chau Giang - Judge, Artist Trinh Tuan - Judge.

      Hanoi, Vietnam, 7 May, 2024 – UOB Vietnam today launched the second UOB Painting of the Year (UOB POY) competition, welcoming all emerging and established Vietnam artists to submit their creative works. The launch ceremony was held at Vincom Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA) and graced by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Ma The Anh, Head of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition Department from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Vietnam.

      The flagship UOB POY competition, one of the most prestigious art competitions in Southeast Asia, exemplifies UOB’s long-term support for the regional art scene. The competition expanded to Vietnam for its inaugural edition last year, providing Vietnamese artists with the opportunity to showcase their talents alongside their counterparts from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The competition has uncovered more than 1,000 artistic talents across the region to date.

      “Vietnam has a vibrant art scene teeming with many young talents, as seen from the numerous outstanding artworks we received for our first UOB POY competition in Vietnam last year. As a leading patron of the arts in Asia, we aspire to foster an environment conducive to the discovery and growth of Vietnamese artists, making art more accessible and inspiring the next generation of talent. Through the competition, we want to continue uncovering and nurturing artistic talents, and showcase their works to a wider community in Vietnam and across the region.” Mr Victor Ngo, CEO of UOB Vietnam shared.

       

       

      From left to right: Artist Trinh Tuan, Artist Dang Xuan Hoa, Mr Victor Ngo, Mr Ma The Anh, Artist Luong Xuan Doan, Artist Chau Giang perform the opening ceremony of the 2nd UOB Painting of the Year in Vietnam.

      UOB Vietnam will also be holding “Art Talk shows” across various venues in Ha Noi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City, providing platforms for interaction among local art communities and art students, and for art enthusiasts to be inspired by leading experts, professional artists and UOB POY winners.

      Inaugural competition winners share their works with a wider audience

      Between October 2023 and April 2024, UOB Vietnam organised exhibitions across Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Hue. The eight winners from the first UOB POY competition in Vietnam exhibited their award-winning artworks and other works to a large art-loving public, attracting thousands of art enthusiasts.

      The winning artists also participated in art showcases overseas, to further enrich their artistic experiences and promote Vietnamese fine arts regionally. The winning artworks were exhibited at National Gallery Singapore.

      Additionally, UOB Vietnam profiled winning artists at prestigious international art fairs. These include artist Duong Ngoc Tuan, Bronze winner in the Established Artist Category, who attended and exhibited at Art Jakarta in Indonesia in November 2023; and artist Trinh Minh Tien, top winner in the Established Artist Category, who attended and exhibited at Art Central Hong Kong in March 2024.

      Artist Trinh Minh Tien added: “Winning the UOB POY has gifted me with so many opportunities to deepen my engagement and broaden my artistic horizon in the art scene, reinforcing my belief that contemporary art knows no bounds. I am grateful and inspired by UOB’s efforts to connect the art community across borders."

      Call for entries of 2nd UOB Painting of the Year competition in Vietnam

      The call for entries for the second UOB POY competition in Vietnam is open from today till 1 August, to all Vietnamese citizens and permanent residents. Artists are invited to submit original paintings created within the last two years, with no entry fee required. Entries can be submitted digitally via website.

      A panel of judges comprising prominent figures in the Vietnam art scene will select the winning artworks based on their creativity, technique and expression of ideas.

      Chief Judge and artist Dang Xuan Hoa said, "I am honoured to be judging the second UOB POY competition in Vietnam. I was a judge for the UOB POY Competition in Singapore over a decade ago, and it feels amazing to do this again. This competition is a valuable opportunity for artists, especially young ones, to showcase their talents and learn about new and modern art styles. To establish their footing on a regional stage, Vietnamese artists need to infuse their creativity with new, modern ideas, while staying rooted in Vietnamese national traditions and maintaining their unique identity. I hope this year’s competition will attract many excellent works and help Vietnam further grow its presence on the regional art map."

      The winners of the second UOB POY in Vietnam will be announced at an award ceremony and the winning paintings will be showcased in a public exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City in October 2024. The top artist in Vietnam will win VND 500 million and a chance to compete for the prestigious UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year award (worth an additional SGD$13,000) and an artist residency programme. The regional winner will be announced at the regional award ceremony in Singapore in November.

      For further details on how to enter the competition, please visit UOBandArt.com and refer to Appendix A.

      UOB’s involvement in art started in the 1970s with its collection of paintings by Singapore artists. Today, the UOB Art Collection has more than 2,600 artworks, made up primarily of paintings from established and emerging Southeast Asian artists.

      UOB plays an active role in communities across the region, most notably through its long-term commitment to art. As the leading patron of the arts in Asia, the Bank continues to make art accessible to a wider audience through a diverse range of visual art programmes, partnerships and community outreach across the region.

      The Bank’s flagship art programme is the UOB Painting of the Year competition, which was started in 1982 to recognise Southeast Asian artists and to offer them the opportunity to showcase their works to the wider community. The competition was extended to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and in 2023, to Vietnam. It is now the longest running art competition in Singapore and one of the most prestigious in Southeast Asia.

      Over the past 42 years, the competition has cultivated and advanced the careers of many artists in Singapore. Notable among them are Mr Goh Beng Kwan (1982 winner), and the late Mr Anthony Poon (1983 winner) and Mr Chua Ek Kay (1991 winner), who received the Singapore Cultural Medallion, Singapore’s most distinguished art award.

      The competition has also recognised talents from across the region through the UOB Southeast Asian POY award. Previous winners include Chomrawi Suksom from Thailand in 2022, Mr Saiful Razman from Malaysia in 2021, Mr Prabu Perdana from Indonesia in 2020, Mr Anagard from Indonesia in 2019, Mr Suvi Wahyudianto from Indonesia in 2018.

      Together with the UOB POY winning artists, UOB also runs art workshops for underprivileged and special needs children regularly. At these workshops, the young learn art techniques from art professionals and award-winning artists.

      In recognition of the Bank’s long-term commitment to art, UOB was presented with the Singapore National Arts Council’s Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award for the 20th consecutive year in 2023.

      UOB Vietnam commenced operations officially on 2 July 2018. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UOB, a leading bank in Asia with a global network of around 500 offices in 19 countries and territories in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America.

      UOB has been in Vietnam for 30 years, started from a representative office in 1993 and became the first Singapore bank to launch a branch in the country in 1995. Today, UOB Vietnam offers a range of personal and institutional financial services to both Vietnamese and overseas customers across the country backed by the seamless connectivity offered through UOB’s regional network. In 2019, UOB Vietnam expanded into northern Vietnam with a branch in Hanoi. With the completion of the acquisition of Citibank Vietnam’s consumer banking business early 2023, UOB now has a total five branches in Ho Chi Minh city and Hanoi.

      For nearly nine decades, UOB has adopted a customer-centric approach to create long-term value by staying relevant through its enterprising spirit and doing right by its customers. UOB is focused on building the future of ASEAN – for the people and businesses within, and connecting with, ASEAN.

       The Bank connects businesses to opportunities in the region with its unparalleled regional footprint and leverages data and insights to innovate and create personalised banking experiences and solutions catering to each customer’s unique needs and evolving preferences. UOB is also committed to help businesses forge a sustainable future, by fostering social inclusiveness, creating positive environmental impact and pursuing economic progress. UOB believes in being a responsible financial services provider and is steadfast in its support of art, social development of children and education, doing right by its communities and stakeholders.

      Name: Vu Nguyen Hoang Yen

      Strategic Communications and Brand

      Email: vu.nguyenhoangyen@uobgroup.com

      Tel: 077 694 6574

      Name: Pham Tieu Giang

      Strategic Communications and Brand

      Email: pham.tieugiang@uobgroup.com

      Tel: 0937 813 613

      I. Judging Panel

      The panel of judges for the 2nd UOB Painting of the Year competition in Vietnam includes:

      • Mr Luong Xuan Doan, President of Vietnam Fine Arts Association, Former Deputy Director of the Culture and Arts Department, Propaganda Department of the Party Central Committee. He is the Special Art Advisor.

      • Artist Dang Xuan Hoa, Chairman of the painting arts council of Vietnam Fine Arts Association. He is the Chief Judge.

      • Artist Trinh Tuan - Judge.

      • Artist Chau Giang - Judge.

      II. Award Categories and Prizes

      Established Artist Category

       

      Award 2024 Prize

      UOB Painting of the Year Award

      VND 500,000,000

      Gold Award

      VND 220,000,000

      Silver Award

      VND 180,000,000

      Bronze Award

      VND 110,000,000

      UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year Award

      This regional prize is awarded to the most outstanding of the five (5) UOB Painting of the Year Award country winners.

      SGD 13,000

       

      Emerging Artist Category

       

      Award 2024 Prize

      Most Promising Artist of the Year Award

      VND 85,000,000

      Gold Award

      VND 60,000,000

      Silver Award

      VND 40,000,000

      Bronze Award

      VND 30,000,000

      III. 2nd UOB Painting of the Year competition identity design

      Inspired by the 2023 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year winning artwork, Chumphon Estuary by Thai artist, Pratchaya Charernsook, the imminent threat posed by microplastics underscores the urgency of our environmental crisis that need conservation and sustainable practices to preserve our planet's fragile ecosystems.

       

       

      UOB Vietnam Newsroom

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