Thai artist wins UOB S-E Asian Painting of the Year Award for embroidery work

An embroidery on fabric work by Thai artist Jamilah Haji has clinched the 2025 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year (POY) Award, UOB announced at an awards ceremony held at the National Gallery Singapore on Nov 12.

- Shawn Hoo

She beat four other country winners from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam for the top regional prize.

Artist Ian Tee, 31, won the POY award for the Singapore competition, besting veterans like Justin Lee, 62, and Boo Sze Yang, 60, who were awarded the gold and silver awards respectively, and Junko Tsuji, who took home bronze.

Jamilah, 35, clinched the $13,000 regional prize and the 750,000 baht (S$30,000) country prize for her work Dua (Pray For A Blessing), which features women in prayer.

She was visibly stumped on stage when announced as the winner.

She said later that the prize was “life-changing” as it was her first time submitting her work for the award and winning such a big prize.

Jamilah, whose home town is in Narathiwat in conflict-ridden southern Thailand, said she used discarded materials from her family’s hijab-sewing business as part of the intricate artwork.