Thai artist Jamilah Haji wins 2025 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year Award

At the 2025 UOB Painting of the Year Awards ceremony held at the National Gallery Singapore, Thai artist Ms Jamilah Haji was announced as the UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year (SEA POY) winner for her luminous textile work Dua (Pray for a Blessing). The piece, crafted entirely through embroidery on fabric, portrays women in prayerful poses, symbols of collective faith and renewal, interwoven … Continue reading Thai artist Jamilah Haji wins 2025 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year Award

By The Book: Epigram Books reveals longlist of authors for 2025 Epigram Books Fiction Prize; names and synopses of works to be revealed later on

When the Epigram Books Fiction Prize (EBFP) first opened its doors to Southeast Asian writers in 2019, few could have predicted how swiftly the region would rise to claim its space in English-language fiction. Now, six years later, the 2026 longlist tells a powerful story: half of the eight authors hail from beyond Singapore’s borders, from Brunei, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Thailand, marking a new chapter … Continue reading By The Book: Epigram Books reveals longlist of authors for 2025 Epigram Books Fiction Prize; names and synopses of works to be revealed later on

Art What!: Launch of new artworks by winners of the Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize

Julius Baer, the leading Swiss wealth management group, proudly launches the new artworks by the six winners of the second edition of the Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize in a unique virtual showcase. This Asian art prize exemplifies Julius Baer’s dedication to supporting the arts and nurturing future talents at the intersection of art and technology. The newly completed digital artworks by the Prize … Continue reading Art What!: Launch of new artworks by winners of the Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize

The Banter: An Interview with Akshita Nanda, Author of Beauty Queens of Bishan

Since the last time we spoke to author Akshita Nanda, her life has taken quite the turn. No longer an arts correspondent with The Straits Times, Akshita has gone back to hitting the books, not only pursuing a Masters in International Affairs but also getting ready to release her sophomore novel – Beauty Queens of Bishan. From its blurb alone, Beauty Queens of Bishan already feels … Continue reading The Banter: An Interview with Akshita Nanda, Author of Beauty Queens of Bishan

Book Review: Nimita’s Place by Akshita Nanda

Parallel narratives of an Indian grandmother during Partition and her granddaughter in modern day Singapore make for a satisfying debut.  Reading Nimita’s Place feels a little like moving in to a new house – to an ethnically Chinese person reading this, the parallel narratives seen through the eyes of both protagonists present worlds that are rapidly changing, initially unfamiliar, yet places that Akshita eases us into to … Continue reading Book Review: Nimita’s Place by Akshita Nanda

Museum Musings: Weixin Quek Chong Wins Grand Prize at Singapore Art Musuem’s President’s Young Talents 2018

The Singapore Art Museum has announced the winners of the seventh edition of the President’s Young Talents at an awards ceremony graced by Madam Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore. Taking home the Grand Prize was artist Weixin Quek Chong with her artwork titled sft crsh ctrl, while Yanyun Chen‘s The scars that write us garnered the most votes by members of public … Continue reading Museum Musings: Weixin Quek Chong Wins Grand Prize at Singapore Art Musuem’s President’s Young Talents 2018

Museum Musings: Singapore Art Museum Introduces SAM Touch Collection, Specially for the Visually-Impaired Community

The Singapore Art Museum has introduced the all new SAM Touch Collection today, one of several initiatives by SAM to extend the contemporary art experience to audiences of all backgrounds and abilities. The SAM Touch Collection, as its name suggests, comprises art specifically developed to travel and engage with the visually-impaired community. The development of the SAM Touch Collection began back in 2014, with focus group … Continue reading Museum Musings: Singapore Art Museum Introduces SAM Touch Collection, Specially for the Visually-Impaired Community

Museum Musings: Boedi Widjaja Co-Comissioned For APT9 and Singapore Biennale 2019

Singapore-based Indonesian artist Boedi Widjaja has been co-comissioned by the Singapore Art Museum and Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) to produce a two-part architectural and sound installation, to be presented at ‘The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ (APT9) in Brisbane, Australia and the Singapore Biennale 2019. This is the first project to be developed from a five-year partnership between the two … Continue reading Museum Musings: Boedi Widjaja Co-Comissioned For APT9 and Singapore Biennale 2019

Museum Musings: President’s Young Talents 2018 at Singapore Art Museum

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) returns this October with the 7th edition of the President’s Young Talents 2018 exhibition. Held at SAM at 8Q from 4th October 2018 to 27th January 2019, the latest edition of the exhibition features five Singaporean contemporary artists – Yanyun Chen, Weixin Quek Chong, Debbie Ding, Hilmi Johandi and Zarina Muhammad. Inaugurated in 2001 by SAM, the President’s Young Talents … Continue reading Museum Musings: President’s Young Talents 2018 at Singapore Art Museum

Vietnamese artist Phan Thao Nguyen Wins Grand Prize at Signature Art Prize 2018

At the National Museum last Friday, Vietnamese artist Phan Thao Nguyen was announced as the winner of the Grand Prize for the the fourth edition of the triennial Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation Signature Art Prize. Started in 2008 by the APB Foundation and Singapore Art Museum, the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize seeks to champion regional contemporary art and recognise the most outstanding work produced over the … Continue reading Vietnamese artist Phan Thao Nguyen Wins Grand Prize at Signature Art Prize 2018