- 23 Canvas and 11 Digital artworks have been selected as prize-winners of the inaugural 13-19 Art Prize
- Winning works will be exhibited at the Gallery at 10 Square @ Orchard Central from now till Monday, 10 January 2022
- The works will be auctioned from the TRCL website from now till Monday, 17 January 2022
- Net proceeds from the auction will go toward supporting The Business Times Budding Artists Fund
17 December 2021 – Thirty-four young talents have been awarded prizes at the inaugural 13-19 Art Prize, a new youth art competition that was launched earlier this year.
Organised by not-for-profit arts organisation TRCL, the competition was launched in May with submissions closing in November and attracted a total of 222 entries in the two categories of canvas and digital artworks. 13-19 Art Prize is open to talents between 13 and 19 years of age.
A total of six gold, four silver, five bronze and eight merit prizes were awarded in the Canvas artwork category. Says Internationally Renowned Watercolorist and Cultural Medallion Winer Mr Ong Kim Seng, one of the five judges for the Canvas category of the competition: “Most of the participants put in a lot of effort in their creations and we had a difficult time assessing the works. By and large, I felt that the works were surrealistic in their approach. The award-winning entries generally showed mastery of medium of used, were well-designed compositions, creative in delivery, displayed judicious use of colours and demonstrated an ability to balance all the elements necessary for a complete work of art.
“Prominent entries for me include 15- year-old Chua Rui Yan whose work showed the maturity of an experience acrylic painter and Lee Shimin’s The Day The Sun Fell which blend of impressionism together with a surrealist concept took me into a transcendental state.”
The Digital artwork category saw a total of one gold, three silver, one bronze and six merit prizes.
Says Educator and Artist Mr Tan Siang Yu who was on the judging panel for the digital artworks category: “The digital art works submitted captured a wide variety of themes ranging from personal expression to social commentary for instance, issues pertaining to the ongoing pandemic, climate change, well-being and the like.
“I am impressed by the level of maturity in the themes chosen, especially considering the age of some of these young artists. Technically, most of the artists are proficient in the use of the digital medium, with some reaching a level of professionalism that is very highly commendable. Overall, through these works, one can see that the artists have engaged deeply with their creation, and are confident in their use of medium to express their ideas. This bodes well for the future of our next generation of young talents.”
The competition which, is a fundraiser for The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF), was founded in the belief of imparting to youths the values of giving-back to the community and of support their peers from disadvantaged backgrounds through art. 13-19 Art Prize also sets out to challenge the creative potential of Singapore’s youth and promote a diversity of artistic expressions and inspire the next generation of artists in Singapore. BT BAF makes arts accessible for children and youths from financially disadvantaged backgrounds through providing arts training and performance opportunities.
Notes Ms Genii Koh, Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the competition and Board Member of TRCL: “What we found most exciting and uplifting from this competition was the maturity of the themes expressed, the quality and mastery of technique displayed and above all how the works gave us insights into the diverse and adventurous worlds of our youths.
“We are also heartened by the participation as this reflects a generosity of spirit and willingness amongst our youths to share their talent to help their peers who are in need.”
The winning artworks will be placed on auction on the TRCL website, www.trcl.sg/13-19-art-prize/auction, from Friday, 17 December 2021 till Monday, 17 January 2022. The work can be viewed at the Gallery at 10 Square @ Orchard Central from now till Monday, 10 January 2022 excepting on Saturday, 18 December 2021 as well as public holidays and on the eve of public holidays. Net proceeds from the sale of the artworks will go towards supporting BT BAF.
A highlight of 13-19 Art Prize auction is that the prizewinning digital artworks will be auctioned as NFTs. This is possibly among the first times in Singapore that digital artworks by youths will be auctioned as NFTs to fundraise.
Says Mr Elton Tay, founder of WottleNFT, 13-19 Art Prize’s digital partner, “We are honoured to be able to play a part in Singapore’s creative landscape through transforming the lives of young aspiring artists by exposing their talents to the world through blockchain technology by converting them into NFTs. This process immortalises their works on the blockchain. For us, it important to give back to society, especially with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. That is why, WottleNFT will also be taking on initiatives that aligns best with our values that include that of making positive change in the community.”