2025 UOB Art in Ink Awards Terms and Conditions

Awards Introduction
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As the leading patron of the arts in Asia, UOB is committed to promoting and enriching the development of ink art. In 2023, UOB China launched the inaugural UOB Art in Ink Awards Campus Edition and the Awards were elevated in 2024 by introducing a new Emerging Artist category and expanding the selection criteria, encouraging more artists to explore and express their interpretations of ink art. This reflects the Awards’ openness and sustainability. The Awards is a testament to UOB's commitment to uncovering artistic talents and rejuvenating the cultural heritage of ink art.

The Awards invites the Art and Design Education FutureLab (FutureLab) as the strategic partner to provide professional advice and full support for the competition.

The submission deadline of 2025 UOB Ink Art Awards is 13 July 2025. Young artists are warmly invited to register and participate in this Awards. Participation is free of charge, and the participant should submit the work via UOB and Art WeChat mini-programme.

 

 

Organiser: United Overseas Bank (China) Limited

Strategic Partner: Art and Design Education FutureLab (FutureLab)

  • Awards announcement: 6 May 2025
  • Submission period: 6 May - 13 July 2025
  • Shortlisting period: 21 – 28 July 2025
  • Top 60 - Campus Talent category announcement and public voting: 29 - 31 July 2025
  • Top 30*1 - Campus Talent category announcement and submission of portfolios: 1 - 15 August 2025
    Portfolio requirements: Include at least 5 pieces of artwork
  • Top 15 - Campus Talent category announcement, questionnaire and artwork transportation: Mid - August 2025
  • Shortlisted Emerging Artist category announcement and artwork transportation: September 2025
  • Final judging: Mid-September 2025
  • Awards ceremony: October 2025
  • • Awards exhibition: October 2025 – February 2026*2

*1The top 30 candidates were selected based on the panel of judges’ decisions and public voting results.

*2The specific date and venue of the exhibition will be confirmed later and announced by UOB China’s official WeChat account. Follow our official WeChat account to get the latest information about the Awards.

1. Prizes

  • Campus Talent Category

The following prizes will be awarded to winners:

UOB Most Promising Talent of the Year Award : one winner – CNY30,000

Gold Award: one winner – CNY20,000

Silver Award: one winner – CNY10,000

  • Emerging Artist Category

UOB Most Emerging Artist of the Year: one winner – The winning artist will be selected by judging committees. The organiser will sponsor the winner to hold a solo exhibition.

Winners will receive formal notification by the end of September 2025, including the date, venue and detailed arrangements of awards ceremony.

2. UOB Art Collection

The winning works of Campus Talent Category will be formally collected by the Organiser and incorporated into the "UOB Art Collection" system for art promotion, cultural dissemination and exchange, and exhibition arrangements. Ownership of the works will be transferred to the Organiser without compensation, while the Organiser undertakes to uphold the author’s moral rights of attribution and the integrity of the works.

3. Promotion and Exposure Opportunities

All winning artworks and selected shortlisted works will have promotion and exposure opportunities including, but not limited to:

  • Potential participation in the 2025 FutureLab Art Fair and exhibitions at venues designated by the Organiser;
  • Selected work stand an opportunity to be exhibited at the UOB-owned or partnered galleries/premises in Hong Kong SAR and Southeast Asia. - Promotional exposure through art media, official digital channels (including overseas social media platforms), and official publications.

4. Transportation and Accommodation

All transportation and accommodation expenses will be borne by the Organiser if the winners participate in the UOB Art in Ink Awards ceremony.

5. Other Art Collaborations

Awards also provide winners with excellent opportunities, including but not limited to winning artwork that will be selected as the UOB’s corporate collateral. The winners will receive an opportunity to an artist residency programme, commissioned art projects, and opportunities to engage with art experts, curators, critics, and gallery owners.

1. Submissions’ legality and copyright legislation

  • Participants must comply with the relevant copyright legislation. All submission materials submitted for this award must be original works of the participant. The participant must also be the owner of all submitted materials.
  • The artwork must not be offered for sale; promote illegal behaviour; support racial, religious, sexual, or other invidious prejudice; advocate sexual or violent exploitation; violate rights established by law or agreements; invade the privacy of any persons; or be otherwise disqualified by the Organiser in its sole and conclusive determination.
    Entries in violation of copyright or related offences will be disqualified. The participant shall bear full legal responsibility for their submissions. Any legal dispute is not related to the Organiser.

2. The Campus Talent category is open to all domestic and overseas tertiary students with the People's Republic of China Resident Identity Cards or international students with valid tertiary education certificates issued by the General Office of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (including those who will graduate in 2025). Participation is free of charge, and the participant should submit the work via UOB and Art WeChat mini-programme.

3. A panel of professional judges will nominate the Emerging Artist category candidates and is open to artists aged 40 or below holding a People's Republic of China Resident Identity Card.

4. Each participant of Campus Talent category can submit three entries for the Awards. Each submission should consist of one artwork.

5. No medium restrictions and requirement for submissions of Campus Talent category

  • Two-dimensional Artworks (maximum width of 180cm)

3 to 8 images of the artworks. All framed artworks should subject to a maximum width of 180cm. One image should be demonstrate how the artwork appears when displayed on a wall.

  • Three-dimensional Artworks (maximum width of 180cm, weight below 150 kilograms)

3 to 8 images of the artwork that fully represent the form and details of the artwork. The maximum dimension of the original artwork should be subject to 180 centimeters, and the weight should be below 150 kilograms.

Materials include bronze, iron, wood, stone, and stainless steel. Resin materials may be used for special needs, but fragile materials are limited.

  • Mixed Media

This includes installation artworks and video works.

3 to 8 images or renderings that fully represent the form and details of the artwork.

The video should not exceed 30 minutes in duration and should be in MP4 or MOV format, with a file size below 100MB.

For artworks involving sound, light, electricity, AR, VR, etc., detailed information should be provided, including the names, models, power consumption, spatial requirements of the electrical equipment, and detailed installation plans and exhibition drawings. Artworks and equipment should not have security risks, including fire, flammability, or explosion hazards. If specific technical equipment is used in the artwork, a list of equipment and operating instructions should be provided.

6. The top 30 participants should be prepared to be able to send portfolios to the Organiser’s working email: info@ade-futurelab.com

The top 15 entries of the Campus Talent category are required to submit the actual artwork to the Organiser.

  1. Participants shall bear all costs and risks associated with packaging, boxing, transporting, and insuring their entry for submission. Participants are required to ensure that their entry is securely packaged to prevent damage during transportation. The organisers will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by improper packaging or during transportation.
  2. If the entry wins the prize, all the expense for the transportation and insurance will be borne by the organiser.
  3. The organizers will bear the transportation and insurance costs for returning the entry to the participant after the event.

Please carefully review the following regulations regarding the artwork’s ownership and intellectual property rights.

  1. The top 30 participants of Campus Talent Category and shortlisted participants of Emerging Artist category shall grant UOB China an unlimited worldwide, royalty-free, exclusive licence to exhibit, archive and reproduce images of their winning entries. Participants agree that UOB China reserves the right, including but not limited to reproduce, use, exhibit, publish and distribute the copy of entries through any media for the purpose of marketing and promotion without any payment in respect of such use and prior notice to the participants.
  1. All award-winning entries of Campus Talent Category,

As the winning artworks of the Campus Talent Category will be formally collected by the Organiser and incorporated into the UOB Art Collection system, the winning artist of Campus Talent Category grant UOB China as the owner a legally unlimited worldwide, royalty-free, exclusive license to exhibit, archive and reproduce images of their winning entries. Participants agree that UOB China reserves the right including but not limited to reproduce, use, exhibit, publish and distribute the copy of entries through any media for the purpose of marketing and promotion without any payment in respect of such use and prior notice to the participants.

By participating, participants agree to Sections VII. Copyright/Intellectual Property of these Terms.

When attribution is required in the use of the artworks, the Organiser shall credit the author’s name.

An independent panel of judges comprise renowned artists, art academics, art critics, art management and other art professionals will help with the judging of entries. The judging panel is looking for artists with outstanding concept, creativity, aesthetic expression, understanding of Chinese ink art and modern response toward today's ever-changing society.

  • Mr Zhang Zikang – Gallery Manager, Curator, Artist, Professor, PhD advisor
  • Mr Chen Tong – Teacher, Artist, Publisher, Critic
  • Mr Qiu Anxiong – Internationally renowned contemporary artist
  • Ms Wu Wei – Publisher, Critic, Curator
  • Mr Lorenz Helbing – Founder of ShanghART Gallery

1. All entries will be evaluated by the panel of judges appointed at the discretion of UOB China. The decision of the judges is final. No correspondence will be entered into this subject before, during, and/or after the Awards.

2. All winners should cooperate with UOB China for the promotions related to the Awards.

3. UOB China reserves the right not to award any of the stipulated prizes should entries fail, in the judges’ opinion, to meet the required standards; and pursue relevant legal responsibilities.

4. If the artworks cannot meet the above criteria and requirements for participation, UOB China reserves the final decision-making authority regarding the eligibility of all submissions.

5. UOB China reserves the right to change the guidelines and Rules and Regulations at any time without prior notice and the Awards may be withdrawn or terminated by UOB China at its discretion without prior notice. UOB China accepts no liability for any such change, withdrawal and termination.

6. The decision of UOB China on all matters not provided for by the above Rules and Regulations shall be final and conclusive.

For specific issues encountered during the application process, such as submission procedures, judging timeline, artwork transportation, etc., inquiries can be made via email to info@ade-futurelab.com.

2024 The Most Promising Talent (s) of the Year



Candana Sea · unsurpassed Tranquility
Chu Jia, Ink and color on silk, 390X240 cm

2024 The Most Promising Talent (s) of the Year



Talk in one's sleep
Xia Kaixi, Concrete, steel, wood, 140X5X180 cm

2024 Gold Award



The overlap of the art garden
Huang Kehan, Silk scroll, ink heavy color, gypsum, silver foil,copper foil, Acrylic, 170X100X3 cm

2024 Silver Award



Thundering dragon
Chen Wei, Ink on silk, 190X5X290 cm

2024 Bronze Award



There is no weather forecast and the signature has no edges or corners
Liu Junliang, Ink on paper, 264X128 cm

2024 Emerging Artist of the Year



The earthly men
Liu Yi, Ink on xuan paper, single-channel animation and original paintingfrom animation video, ink on chan Yi Chinese rice paper, light box

UOB Campus Ink Art of the Year Award



Live as Lightning
Yuan Linxin, Ink on Paper, 239X140 cm

2023 Platinum Award



Life in Cyberspace
Fu Jingwen, Ink and Colour on paper, 180X360 cm

2023 Gold Award



Black Iron in Landscape
Li Yepeng, Ink on Silk, 250X150 cm

2023 Silver Award



My Landscape Poem to Maternal Grandfather
Zhang Ziyi, Ink on Paper and Collage, 180X200X5 cm

2023 Bronze Award



Exhaust My Interest before Returning Home
Du Ruoxin, Ink and Colour on Silk, 160X200 cm


Quiet snow
Guo Yuhui, Ink and Colour on Silk, 88X198 cm

2023 Highly Commended



Flaming Gold
Cai Fan, Ink and Colour on Silk, 200X160 cm


Sneak in Moonlight
Chen Hanqing, Ink on Paper, 138X108 cm


Dream back to Xishan
Chu Yuqi, Ink and Colour on Silk, 135X180X6 cm


Spring Roaming by the West Lake
Jiang Luyu, Ink and Colour on Silk, 240X200 cm



History Began with Pantheon
Li Zhongcheng, Ink on Silk, 200X75X3 cm


Run to Nowhere
Liu Gang, Ink and Colour on Paper, 128X100 cm


Coincide
Wei Jialin, Ink on Silk, Acrylic, 175X165 cm


Granted with the Absolute Truth
Zen Haibo, Ink on Paper, 180X220 cm


The Birds
Zhang Qian, Five-layer Cloud Dragon Paper, Ink, Watercolour Pigment, 90X384 cm

Awards Videos

  • All videos
  • Winners’ videos
  • Awards introduction
The earthly men
liu_yi
Winners’ videos

Liu Yi

Finalists in the Emerging Artist category are nominated by the judging panel.  Ms Liu Yi is highly acknowledged by the judging panel and honoured with the UOB Emerging Artist of the Year for the profound artistic connotation and innovative expression of her multimedia work The Earthly Men.

    Candana Sea · unsurpassed Tranquility
    chu_jia
    Winners’ videos

    Chu Jia

    Ms Chu Jia's triptych painting Candana sea – unsurpassed tranquility features the magnificent scenery of the Feilai Peak Grottoes opposite to Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. The strange rocks and trees around Feilai Peak and the ladies of various dynasties in the landscape convey a peaceful and serene mood. It demonstrates her understanding of traditional culture and recreation of natural scenes.

      Talk in one's sleep
      xia_kaixi
      Winners’ videos

      Xia Kaixi

      Mr Xia Kaixi's mixed-media work Talk in one’s sleep boldly combines traditional and modern materials. Taking the two paintings by the renown Chinese landscape painter Fan Kuan as the theme, he adopts cement as the main medium of expression and reproduces the ancient paintings through the technique of chiseling. The work produces a unique expressive power and tension in the contemporary context while expressing his thoughts and reflections about contemporary society.

        The overlap of the art garden
        huang_kehan
        Winners’ videos

        Huang Kehan

        Mr Huang Kehan’s The overlap of the art garden features pine trees, floating classic texts from Preface of Lanting and Chinese caligraphy, and circular lotus leaves reminiscent of Yayoi Kusama.

        The imagery is orchestrated by traditional Chinese ink painting and Suzhou gardens, creating a unique artistic expression. This emotion is entrusted to the fish in the water, becoming their joyful play.

          Thundering dragon
          chen_wei
          Winners’ videos

          Chen Wei

          Mr Chen Wei’s Thundering dragon captures the majestic power of water through the waterfall, creating a strong visual impact with silence. The towering waterfall reflects the mysterious tranquility of the distant valley, blending visual experience with artistic language in a modern form.

            There is no weather forecast  and the signature has no edges or corners
            liu_junliang
            Winners’ videos

            Liu Junliang

            Mr Liu Junliang’s artwork presents his life in an old residential building. He reconstructed his experiences there through twelve balconies, blending everyday calm with innocent imaginations. With ink painting, he aims to recapture those precious memories. The characters depicted are based on his childhood, but without faces, symbolizing not specific individuals but anyone who shared this experience in similar buildings.