Press Release 2014

Artworks celebrating Malaysia's heritage win top honours at the 2014 UOB Painting of the Year competition

Kuala Lumpur, 05 November 2014 - Two artworks offering a glimpse into Malaysia's history won top awards at the 2014 UOB Painting of the Year competition organised by United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Bhd (UOB Malaysia).

In the Established Artist¹ category, the top honour - the UOB Painting of the Year award - went to Ms Minstrel Kuik Ching Chieh, 38, for her charcoal artwork titled 16 Sept 1963, which is based on an old photograph showing a momentous scene celebrating the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

Ms Kuik, a full-time artist, gets her inspirations largely from historical images. "I am drawn to old photos and images of the past as they remind us of our heritage and give us perspectives on our present," Ms Kuik said. She won US$25,000 (approximately RM81,250) in the competition.

In the Emerging Artist² category, full-time artist Encik Husin bin Othman, 27, won the Most Promising Artist of the Year award with his painting titled Antara Dua Unit. He drew inspiration from fond memories of his time with his friends in school. In his painting, En Husin used space and colour contrast to bring alive the stories of his childhood.

Mr Wong Kim Choong, Chief Executive Officer of UOB Malaysia, said that the UOB Painting of the Year competition is the Bank's way of supporting local art talents. "We recognise that a thriving community needs both business and the arts. Since we launched the UOB Painting of the Year competition in Malaysia in 2011, outstanding local artists have gained regional exposure through the competition. As a bank that believes in helping people and businesses succeed, we will continue in our efforts to encourage both emerging and established artists to pursue their passion," Mr Wong said.

The winning entries were selected by a panel of judges comprising Mr Ivan Lam, leading Malaysian contemporary artist; En Amerrudin bin Ahmad, Director of the Collection and Conservation Division at the National Visual Arts Gallery; and, Cik Nur Hanim Khairuddin, art curator and writer.

Regional opportunities for the UOB Painting of the Year award winner
Ms Kuik will compete with the three other UOB Painting of the Year competition winners in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand for the regional prize - the UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year award - and stand a chance to win a one-month residency programme at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan.

She will also have her painting displayed in Singapore as part of the 2014 UOB Painting of the Year exhibition at the Singapore Red Dot Museum and at the UOB Art Gallery located at UOB's regional headquarters at Raffles Place, Singapore.

Winners of the 2014 UOB Painting of the Year competition
All the award-winning paintings will be exhibited at Level 2, Menara UOB, Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur from 5 to 14 November 2014, between 9.30am to 4.30pm daily (excluding weekends and public holidays). The exhibition is open to the public and admission is free.

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¹ The Established Artist category is open to experienced professionals with an established portfolio of work. They must have shown their paintings in solo or group exhibitions (excluding school graduation shows); be represented by a gallery; or have achieved recognition through art awards.
² The Emerging Artist category is open to aspiring artists who are pursuing an arts education; are taking their first steps to a career in art; or simply paint for pleasure.
³ En Helmi was also the Silver Award winner of the 2013 UOB Painting of the Year competition.