The artwork highlights the resilience and unity of Vietnamese labourers, reflecting the 30-year-old artist’s deep empathy for the working class and their struggles amidst urbanisation and survival challenges in big cities.

As the top winner in the Established Artist category, Van Thuc received a cash prize of VND500 million and will represent Vietnam at the upcoming UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year 2025 competition in Singapore this November, where he will compete with national winners from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

According to Victor Ngo, CEO of UOB Vietnam, the competition is part of the Singapore-based bank’s commitment to supporting artistic talent and developing a dynamic, sustainable art ecosystem both in Vietnam and across the region.

By creating a playground for both emerging and established artists, the event introduces their artworks to global audiences, thereby spreading the presence of Vietnamese art on the international stage, Ngo said.

In the Emerging Artist category, the top prize went to Nguyen Ngoc Thuan, 53, from Binh Thuan, for his debut work "Chân dung tự họa, 2025" ("Self-Portrait, 2025"). The piece draws inspiration from a chest X-ray image and an implanted ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) device, reflecting on a decade-long personal medical journey.

Launched in Singapore in 1982 by the United Overseas Bank (UOB), the UOB Painting of the Year competition later expanded to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, and made its debut in Vietnam in 2023. Since its inception, the regional competition has uncovered more than 1,000 artistic talents across Southeast Asia.

UOB Painting of the Year 2025 launched in Vietnam

VOV.VN - The United Overseas Bank (UOB) Vietnam opened an exhibition at the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi on May 7 showcasing the winning artworks of the 2024 competition as part of the UOB Painting of the Year 2025.