UOB Painting Of The Year Awarded To A Depiction Of Earth's E-Waste Demise

Marking the tenth edition of the UOB Painting of the Year competition for Thailand, the prestigious grand prize this year went to 28-year-old artist Chaichana Luetrakun for an acrylic painting titled Wastespace. 

Wastescape, acrylic on canvas, by Chaichana Luetrakun

Becoming the first and only artist to have won the competition consecutively, Chaichana was previously awarded the country’s Most Promising Artist of the Year in 2018. This year, the artist submitted a piece exploring the hot issue of environment, from the angle of technological advancement. Wastespace is a highly intricate painting, depicting the inevitable crisis of electronic waste around the globe. 

I hope my art can make more people understand that the world is drowning in ever-growing stockpiles of waste from discarded electronics. It is through art that I can best express my thoughts and concerns.

— Chaichana Luetrakun

Chaichana (right) with this year’s Emerging Artist laureate Somchai Sidamon (left)

This year’s judging committee, which comprised of curator Somporn Rodboon, National Artist Parinya Tantisuk and Amrit Choosuwan, vice president for Arts and Cultura at Silpakorn University, expressed that Chaichana’s piece is able to hold its own at both local and international levels.

As the winner of this year’s competition in the Established Artist category, Chaichana receives a cash prize of US$25,000 (750,000 baht). Wastespace will be exhibited at the UOB Art Gallery in Singapore (the bank’s headquarters) and will go on to compete with winners from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for the honour of UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year. Chaichana also stands a chance to win a one-month artist residency at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan.

 

Honourable Mention

In the Emerging Artist category this year, 23-year-old Somchai Sidamon won Most Promising Artist of the Year—a title previously held by Chaichana—for a mixed media piece called Faces – Reflections of Life No 2, about his family’s trials and tribulations of making a living in their rural environment. 

You can see the winning and all shortlisted paintings from the Established and Emerging Artist categories for the Thailand competition from now until October 13 at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. The exhibition will then be moved to the UOB Head Office in Thailand on Sathorn from October 14 to 31 and then the UOB building in Phetkasem from November 1 to 15. Exhibitions are open and free to the public.

See also: ‘Painter Of Black’ Exhibition Opens In New York