UOB Painting of the Year 2025 Competition Launched in Vietnam

After being held twice in Vietnam, the Competition has attracted the participation of thousands of young artists and professional artists across the country. The second season of the competition (2024) honored 6 talented Vietnamese artists in two categories: Promising Artist and Established Artist, in which the highest award, UOB Painting of the Year, went to artist Nguyen Viet Cuong (born in 1989) with the work "Dong Chua" and the Most Promising Artist of the Year award was given to artist Phan Tu Tran (1990) with the work "Doraeco" .

With the aim of promoting Vietnamese fine arts and bringing the names of talented artists of UOB POY to a wide audience of art lovers, 6 winning works and 5 finalists of UOB POY season 2 (2024) are on display.

The work "Flow" uses two indigenous materials, Quang Ninh coal and rice flour from the Mekong Delta, to tell the story of natural resources and the agricultural -industrial intersection of the two ends of the country.

The exhibition offers a unique artistic experience, impressing with its creative art practice, the intersection between contemporary and heritage in the works, conveying profound messages about the times while still preserving and honoring traditional Vietnamese values.

After the opening ceremony, the Art Discussion “Contemporary on Heritage” shared many multi-dimensional and profound perspectives on how to practice creative art, leaving a personal mark. The speakers included: artist Dang Xuan Hoa - Chairman of the Painting Arts Council, Vietnam Fine Arts Association and Head of the Jury of the UOB POY Competition 2024-2025; artist Ngo Van Sac - Silver Prize in the Established Artist category, UOB POY Competition 2024; Ms. Duong Thu Hang, Director of Hanoi Studio Gallery.

The seminar attracted attention and lively discussion from delegates and visitors.

Artists and audiences discussed and analyzed perspectives on the trend of contemporary art practice that inherits the Vietnamese fine arts heritage over the past 100 years, as well as the future path for Vietnamese artists on their journey to reach international stature, especially through prestigious regional playgrounds such as UOB POY.

The work "Doraeco" by Phan Tu Tran, a young female artist currently practicing art through a derivative style, prioritizing experimentation with new materials to create new concepts for old images, in order to tell everyday stories to the public.

On the sidelines of the UOB POY Competition, UOB Bank also facilitates and accompanies Vietnamese artists to participate in regional art competitions, such as Art Jakarta held in Indonesia, or Art Central held in Hong Kong (China), which gathers many artistic talents across Asia.

After Hanoi , the series of art seminars will continue to be implemented by UOB in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City this May, creating opportunities for exchange and learning between generations of Vietnamese artists, sharing practical experiences from artists coming out of the UOB POY competition and especially inspiring young artists to continue to create, maintain their passion for art and find their own path.

The exhibition is open until May 19 at the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts (66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hanoi).

The organizers said that the UOB POY Competition 2025 in Vietnam is open for submissions from now until August 1. The competition is open to all Vietnamese citizens and permanent residents, and there is no entry fee. Entries must be original works created within the last 2 years and must not have previously won an award in another competition.

In addition to the prize, the opportunity to learn, cultivate and create conditions to develop talent in an international environment that the competition brings is very meaningful. The most important factor is that the work must exude the beauty of the soul, the beauty of aesthetics and the beauty of the times. If these three factors converge, I believe that in the third season, Vietnamese artists will affirm their names and achieve high results in the region.

Artist Dang Xuan Hoa,
Head of the jury

Each participating artist is allowed to submit only one work. The top winner in Vietnam will receive a prize of VND500 million and will have the opportunity to compete for the prestigious UOB Painting of the Year Southeast Asia award with a cash prize of S$13,000 as well as the opportunity to be selected to participate in a special artist residency programme.

The UOB POY Competition 2025 in Vietnam is expected to be announced, awarded and exhibited in Ho Chi Minh City in October.

The UOB POY is an annual arts programme of UOB Bank (Singapore), first held in 1982 with the aim of recognizing artists in the Southeast Asian region and providing them with an opportunity to showcase their works to the wider community. The competition was later expanded to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and in 2023, Vietnam. It is the longest-running art competition in Singapore and one of the most prestigious in the Southeast Asian region.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/khoi-dong-cuoc-thi-uob-painting-of-the-year-nam-2025-tai-viet-nam-post877912.html