^{(Left to right): Mr Putra Aqmal Danish Bin Mohd Zuraimi, Winner of the 2025 UOB Most Promising Artist of the Year (Malaysia) award, Emerging Artist Category; Ms Ng Wei Wei, CEO, UOB Malaysia; and Mr Nik Mohd Shazmie Bin Nik Shairozi, Winner of the 2025 UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia), Established Artist Category.​}


KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- UOB Malaysia presented the 15^th UOB Painting of the Year (POY) (Malaysia) award to Mr Nik Mohd Shazmie Bin Nik Shairozi for his artwork, ‘Rumah Kita (Our Home)’. He received a cash prize of RM100,000.
 
The winning painting will represent Malaysia in the regional competition for the 2025 UOB Southeast Asian POY award. The regional award ceremony will take place in Singapore where Mr Nik will compete against winning entries from Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam for a cash prize of S$13,000. In addition to the regional award, country winners will also compete for a UOB-sponsored overseas residency programme.
 
Ms Ng Wei Wei, Chief Executive Officer of UOB Malaysia, said, “This year marks an exciting milestone for UOB POY in Malaysia. For the first time since its inception, we invited an international judge to join the three-member judging panel to evaluate the artworks, reflecting our continued commitment to elevating Malaysian art on the global stage.”
 
“UOB POY has been held in Malaysia for 15 years, and every year we witness greater talent and diversity. I’m especially touched that this year’s submissions included entries from the hearing-impaired community, with one of them honoured as a winner tonight. This reinforces what we have always believed: Art knows no boundaries, and diversity only deepens its impact.”
 
Mr Nik, who had previously clinched the Gold Award, Established Artist Category in the 2015 UOB POY (Malaysia), returns to the spotlight a decade later with this winning artwork. His winning acrylic painting captures the spirit of Malaysian unity through an imperfect, spiky clay form inspired by the durian, Malaysia’s most iconic fruit.
 
Describing his artwork, Mr Nik said “Like the durian, tough on the outside, sweet on the inside, our path to unity is not always smooth, but it is resilient and full of life. The cracks and raw textures speak to the challenges we face, while also highlighting the strength and spirit that drive our progress.”
 
Since his first Gold Award win, Mr Nik’s work has been showcased in both individual and group exhibitions across the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. He now joins the ranks of distinguished UOB POY (Malaysia) winners, including Mr Hasanul Isyraf Idris, Mr Chong Kim Chiew, and Mr Seah Ze Lin, who have continued to gain international recognition following their wins.
 
Ms Intan Rafiza, Chief Judge of the 2025 UOB POY (Malaysia) competition, said, “It has been a privilege to witness the incredible talent showcased in this year’s UOB POY competition. Each piece told a story that is rich with emotion and creativity. Malaysia’s art scene is full of passionate and talented individuals, and I’m excited to see how they continue to grow.”

Mr Putra Aqmal Danish Bin Mohd Zuraimi wins the 2025 UOB Most Promising Artist of the Year (Malaysia) award under Emerging Artist Category 

In the Emerging Artist Category, Mr Putra Aqmal Danish Bin Mohd Zuraimi was named Most Promising Artist of the Year for his artwork titled “I Love You, Bearbear”. His moving piece explores the struggle of homelessness and the aching absence of affection, attention, and acceptance that often accompanies it. Painted on cardboard, a material often discarded yet essential to those without shelter, his artwork transforms a humble surface into a powerful symbol of survival and dignity.
 
As a street artist based in Bukit Bintang, Mr Putra drew inspiration from his daily encounters to create this deeply personal piece. Through his painting, he encourages viewers to pause and reflect on those whom society often overlooks. His work serves as a compelling reminder that behind every face on the street lies a life and soul.
 
The UOB Painting of the Year competition was launched in Malaysia in 2011. It is also the longest-running art competition in Singapore and one of the most prestigious in Southeast Asia.
 

About UOB Malaysia
 
UOB Malaysia is rated among the top banks in Malaysia with a long-term AAA rating from Ratings Agency of Malaysia. It has over seven decades of presence in the country, and operates 55 branches nationwide, offering both conventional and Islamic banking services to its customers.
 
UOB Malaysia is a 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 adopted a customer-centric approach to creating 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 helping 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.
 
About UOB and Art
 
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 2,800 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 40 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 Mr Yong Wee Loon from Singapore in 2024, Ms Pratchaya Charernsook from Thailand in 2023, Mr 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, Mr Sukit Choosri from Thailand in 2017, Mr Gatot Indrajati from Indonesia in 2016, Mr Anggar Prasetyo from Indonesia in 2015, Mr Antonius Subiyanto from Indonesia in 2014 and Ms Stefanie Hauger from Singapore in 2013.

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 23rd time in 2025. 

For further information, please visit www.uob.com.my. 
 
SOURCE: UOB Malaysia

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Putri Faralisa
Brand, Media and Communications
Email: putrifaralisasofeaadril.bintiabduljalil@uob.com.my
Tel: 6016-664 2346 

Name: Sharie Elina Ibrahim
Brand, Media and Communications
Email: sharie.elina@uob.com.my                      
Tel: 603-2638 6589/ 6012-682 6300 

--BERNAMA