KUALA LUMPUR: An acrylic painting inspired by the durian has won the UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia), with Nik Mohd Shazmie Nik Shairozi taking home RM100,000 for his work Rumah Kita (Our Home).
The 2025 award, now in its 15th year, secures him a place in the regional UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year competition in Singapore, where national winners from Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam will compete for S$13,000 and a residency programme.
Nik, who also won the Gold Award in 2015, said his latest work drew from the symbolism of the fruit.
“Like the durian, tough on the outside, sweet on the inside, our path to unity is not always smooth, but it is resilient and full of life,” he said.
Since his first win, his work has been shown in exhibitions across the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.
He joins previous Malaysian winners such as Hasanul Isyraf Idris, Chong Kim Chiew and Seah Ze Lin, who went on to gain international recognition.
UOB Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Ng Wei Wei said the competition marked a new stage by bringing in an international judge to join the panel for the first time.
She also noted the diversity of this year’s submissions.
“I’m especially touched that this year’s submissions included entries from the hearing-impaired community, with one of them honoured as a winner tonight.
“This reinforces what we have always believed: art knows no boundaries, and diversity only deepens its impact,” she said.
The Emerging Artist award this year went to Putra Aqmal Danish Mohd Zuraimi for I Love You, Bearbear, a piece painted on cardboard to highlight the struggles of homelessness.
Based in Bukit Bintang as a street artist, he said the work drew from his daily encounters with people experiencing homelessness.
Chief Judge Intan Rafiza said the competition highlighted the diversity and emotional depth of Malaysian art.
“Each piece told a story that is rich with emotion and creativity,” she said.
Launched in Malaysia in 2011, the competition has become one of Southeast Asia’s leading art awards and is the longest running in Singapore.
