Once again proving the rising prominence of Indonesian art on the international scene, 36-year-old Indonesian artist Gatot Indrajati was recently announced as the overall winner of the United Overseas Bank (UOB) Painting of the Year Award for his work “Right or Wrong My Home”.
The UOB Painting of the Year contest is Singapore’s longest-running painting competition (this is its 35th year) and it has the largest prize as well. Gatot’s painting earned him a $25,000 prize for being the best among the Indonesian contests and an additional $10,000 for being judged Southeast Asia Painting of the Year in the competition.
Gatot’s win represents the 3rd time in a row that an Indonesian artist has won the overall prize in the UOB competition, the first time such a feat has happened in the history of the award.
Gatot said that “Right or Wrong My Home” was inspired by the steadfast reaction of Jakartans to the terrorist attack that took place here in January. In describing the artwork, the artist wrote, “In every nation, a city becomes a symbol: a center of economy, governance, culture and crime. Through the proliferation of digital technology and new lifestyles, foreign cultures flourish and citizens unconsciously adopt homogenous and robotic mindsets and behaviors. Throughout the multiple life events of a nation, there remains an attitude that we should be proud; to survive and rise from the ordeal.”
A graduate of the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) in Yogyakarta, Gatot is a UOB Painting of the Year alumni, having won the award at the 2011 competition in Indonesia.
To see a full gallery of the UOB Painting of the Year award winners including other competitors from Indonesia, check out: uobpoy.com/winners
