Usaha Tegas Awards 25 Young Malaysians in its Heritage Art Competition 2023

25 young Malaysians were awarded and recognised for their immense artistic talents at The Usaha Tegas Heritage (“UTH”) Art Competition 2023 Award Ceremony today. The Award Ceremony presented prizes to 25 winning artworks from five categories, namely charcoal or pencil or oil pastel or ink, mixed media, oil or acrylic, printmaking, and watercolour.

The first prize winners from each category are as follows:-

• Jasper Junior (from Universiti Malaysia Sabah) for his winning artwork entitled “Laga Biji Getah” under Charcoal / Ink / Pencil Category

• Oon Zheng Yeow (from Equator College) for his artwork entitled “Kuih Kapit” for the Watercolor Category

• Wong Jia Jin (from Dasein Academy Of Art) for his winning entry titled “Reminiscence” in the Oil/Acrylic Category

• Goo See Min (from Dasein Academy Of Art) for his winning submission “Fresh Outlook” in the Mixed Media Category

• Ong Wen Xin (from Dasein Academy Of Art) for his piece entitled “Pasar” under Printmaking Category

Henry Tan, Chairman of the UTH Art Competition 2023 said, “Our heartfelt congratulations to the 25 exceptional finalists who won in the respective categories. We hope this will be a milestone and inspiration for you to continue enriching our cultural tapestry with your unique perspective. Art has the power to connect, to bridge and inspire Malaysians to have greater appreciation of our rich cultural heritage and diversity. We hope these artworks continue to promote our unique heritage for generations to come.”

This year’s record of 345 physical entries is testament to the Usaha Tegas Heritage Art Competition's strong partnerships with Malaysian institutions of higher learning. Total submissions received were from 48 public and private institutions, including nine secondary schools.

Henry continues “We are truly encouraged by the participation of young students who are so passionate about art. We are immensely pleased to observe the enduring appeal of traditional visual arts among today's digital generation. We are committed to fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of art through our annual competition, and confident that our commitment will continue to nurture this positive trend.”

Bibi Chew, Chief Judge of the competition said, “This year, we have received great submissions of diverse artworks from different perspectives and voices especially on intangible heritage, which is truly inspiring. It's wonderful to see so many young aspiring artists sharing and discovering their passion for art & heritage through this competition. I believe art is meant to be shared, and I've been deeply moved by the stories that each artist has shared through their beautiful visuals. The Usaha Tegas Heritage Art Competition has been the great platform and support for the young artists to lend their voices and values on art & heritage”.

Also present at the award ceremony were the panel of esteemed judges - Bibi Chew, Suridah Jalaludin, Ar. Parama Nathan, and Syahrul Niza Ahmad Zaini from the National Art Gallery, as well as representatives for several institutions, educators and supporters from ALFA College, Dasein Academy of Art, Equator College, Malaysian Institute of Art, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, UITM, to name a few.

UT Heritage Art Competition is an annual art competition sponsored by UTSB Management Sdn Bhd, for emerging young Malaysian talents in schools especially those in universities and colleges. The five categories of competing artworks are charcoal/pencil/ink; oil/acrylic; mixed media; printmaking, and watercolour.

The art competition focuses on the theme of “Malaysian Heritage,” with a special emphasis on our nation’s intangible cultural heritage in this year’s competition. The theme is also in line with Malaysia’s entry into the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (IGCICH) under UNESCO for the 2022-2026 term.

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About UT Heritage Art Competition

In line with the vision of Usaha Tegas Group's Chairman, Mr. Ananda Krishnan, the Usaha Tegas Heritage Art Competition was established in 2001 to provide a platform for aspiring young Malaysian artists to explore and express their understanding and appreciation of our cultural heritage. It was formerly known as the Tanjong Heritage Art Competition and was renamed as the Usaha Tegas Heritage Art Competition in 2017.

Over the past twenty-three years, the competition has successfully nurtured artistic talent, recognized exceptional creativity, and showcased Malaysia's diverse and rich cultural heritage through the eyes of our emerging artists.

For more information on UT Heritage, please visit https://www.usahategasheritage.org.my/ or scan the QR code :

Thank you.