When all seems lost, all one can do is pray for change. Thai Artist Jamilah Haji piece, “Dua (Pray For A Blessing),” explores this concept in mixed media, winning the 2025 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year (SEA POY) competition.
Launched in 1982, the UOB SEA POY is an annual art competition recognizing and promoting artists in the region. It is also the longest-running art competition in Singapore. This year’s UOB SEA POY was held last November 12 at the National Gallery Singapore, with a panel of judges composed of artists and art experts from around the region: Dr. Vichaya Mukdamanee (Singapore), Dr. Agung Hujatnikajennong (Indonesia), Ms. Intan Rafiza (Malaysia), Mr. Amrit Chusuwan (Thailand), and Mr. Dang Xuan Hoa (Vietnam).
The competition-winning piece, “Dua,” is Jamilah Haji’s first entry in the UOB SEA POY, earning the Thai Artist grand prize of $13,000 and the country prize of 750,000 baht for her piece depicting women in prayer who symbolize a collective wish for renewal and harmony. In an interview with The Strait Times, Haji shared, “I remember growing up in a poor family. My mother, who didn’t have a formal education, always taught me and my siblings to be resourceful and resilient.” This is reflected through the materials she used: discarded materials from her family’s hijab-sewing business. Jamilah triumphed over artists from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam for the top regional prize.
Haji has been creating art since 2009, winning a bronze medal at the 4th National Youth and Juvenile Art Exhibition organized by the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute in Thailand. From then, she has explored different mediums like embroidered tapestries that depict still lives, monuments of faith, spirituality, women’s struggles, and more. Her style is an amalgamation of methods and materials that create a complete piece through sewing in 2-dimensional painting styles, mixed media art, and installation art.
“In a world overwhelmed by conflict, disease, and inequality, I feel a responsibility as an artist to be a voice for peace and hope. Through my work, I want to remind people not to stop dreaming, to hold on to hope, and to believe in their ability to create change. I drew inspiration from the idea of beauty as a reflection of resilience, using symbolic elements to echo the aspirations of humanity,” Haji shared during the event.
Other winners include Ian Tee for the Established Artist category with his piece “Cloud Of Unknowing I” created from industrial tools, and Dayna Lu for Most Promising Artist of the Year with her piece “Existence is Prison, a Personal Account,” an acrylic canvas depicting an endless sea of similarly-dressed individuals confined within identical rooms.
Visitors can check out the winning pieces at the 2025 UOB POY Regional Winners’ Showcase at the National Gallery Singapore, UOB Discovery Space from 13 November 2025 to 31 January 2026.