UOB s art contest returns with hefty cash prizes
published : 24 May 2021 at 04:30
The United Overseas Bank (Thai) is inviting aspiring and professional Thai artists to enter the 12th UOB Painting Of The Year competition to vie for cash prizes worth 1.68 million baht.
The winning piece of the 2010 contest by Pannaphan Yodmanee. photos courtesy of UOB Painting of the Year
Hailed as one of Southeast Asia s most prestigious annual art awards, the competition is divided into categories emerging artists who are pursuing an art education or a career in art or those who paint for pleasure and established artists with a portfolio who have shown their works in an exhibition or were represented by a gallery in an art contest or have received an art award.
When it comes to the history of art, the Italian Renaissance was one of the most important periods defined by the revival of philosophy, literature and art and the Medici family was at the centre of it all. The Italian banking family was renowned for their patronage of the arts, supporting Renaissance masters including Botticelli, Da Vinci, and Michelangelo. It was during this time that some of the greatest works of art were produced.
One cannot deny the importance of arts patronage and philanthropy when it comes to the development of the arts. One such patron of the arts in the region is UOB. In the 1970s, the bank started collecting paintings by Singapore artists, which has since grown into the UOB Art Collection to include more than 2,500 artworks by established and emerging artists in Southeast Asia.