UOB Painting of the Year Awards Ceremony

Good afternoon. I am pleased to be here at the 2025 UOB Painting of the Year Awards Ceremony to join you in celebrating the power of art and creativity, and to recognise the established and emerging talent in our arts scene.

First, let us congratulate the award recipients. Shall we give them a big round of applause.

1. Every winning artwork that you see displays an absolute dedication to craft, and a depth of reflection and expression.

2. Well done to all the artists – your awards are all truly well deserved.

I also would also like to say a big thank you to UOB for its longstanding support for the arts.

1. Earlier this year, I had the honour of presenting the Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award to UOB, in recognition of its unwavering commitment to the arts.

2. UOB has done much to help cultivate a vibrant arts ecosystem in Singapore, Southeast Asia, and even further afield.

3. UOB’s wide-ranging initiatives include providing art education programmes for children of all abilities, supporting arts research in institutions like National Gallery Singapore, and enabling overseas exchange programmes and residencies for artists. Many of these programmes are multi-year, long-term commitments.

4. And the Painting of the Year competition is now into its 44th year, and it has grown to become one of the most recognised art prizes in the region.

UOB has also evolved its support for the arts over the years.

1. For instance, UOB now has an artist alumni network to continue its support for Painting of the Year winners. This includes enabling them to showcase their work overseas, receive commissions, and seize more commercial opportunities.

Taken together, these efforts have encouraged artists in the pursuit of their passion, and raised the appreciation of Southeast Asian art.

1. UOB is a role model for how the private sector can play a leading role in supporting the arts.

This is also a great time for arts philanthropy in Singapore.

1. This year saw the highest number of awardees in the past five years at the Patron of the Arts Awards, with 515 patrons recognised.

2. This reflects a deepening commitment from our community to sustain and to support artistic expression, and we hope this trend continues well into the future.

3. Our corporates also contribute to the arts in many ways – for example, availing spaces for exhibitions – UOL does a wonderful job in this regard, incorporating the arts into corporate social responsibility or team bonding efforts, or helping our artists build their skills in areas like business or technology.

4. The possibilities are endless, and we appreciate our corporates stepping up in different ways to support the arts.

On our part, the Government remains deeply committed to supporting local arts and artists.

1. We have strengthened support for arts education at all levels – from preschool, such as through the NAC Arts Education Programme, to tertiary education through NAC scholarships.

2. We have also enhanced our efforts to unlock more spaces for artists to create, to collaborate, and to showcase their work, such as the upcoming arts space at Kampong Java.

And Government, together with corporates and individuals, can do so much more.

1. Through Government initiatives like the Cultural Matching Fund and the SG Culture Pass, we want to work together as a community to encourage both support and participation in local arts and culture.

2. And we want more Singaporeans to discover and celebrate our local artists, and become personally invested in their success.

3. Because arts enrich our lives in ways that numbers alone cannot measure, and it helps us lead better lives.

Once again, congratulations to all the award recipients for your excellent work, and thank you once again to UOB for your steadfast support for the arts.

Thank you everyone.