UOB Vietnam announced the winners of the fourth edition of the competition at an award ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on September 30, with Lam taking the top prize in the Established Artist category.

The artist will represent Vietnam at the UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year 2026 Award, competing against winning artists from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. The regional winner is expected to be announced in Singapore on October 28.

Created in oil on canvas combined with neon lighting, Life, Death and Neon juxtaposes heavy, almost monochromatic forms with five small portraits set against thin layers of colour.

A strip of neon light runs between the two parts of the composition, both separating the solid landscape from the more fragile human figures and suggesting the present intruding into a space of memory.

Behind the work’s cold and sombre appearance lies a personal memory from Lãm’s childhood. He used to accompany his family to tend the graves of relatives at a martyrs’ cemetery. The rows of graves, trees moving in the wind and the quiet atmosphere remained in his memory, even though he was too young at the time to fully understand the significance of those visits.

Le The Lam, 37, graduated from the University of Fine Arts in Ho Chi Minh City in 2015. His artistic practice explores the relationship between humanity and the world, focusing particularly on the psychological dimensions of contemporary life.

According to artist and curator Trong Gia Nguyen, head of the jury for the 2026 UOB Painting of the Year competition in Vietnam, Lam’s work demonstrates a willingness to experiment and move beyond familiar boundaries of painting while conveying a clear and compelling artistic concept.

Also, at the award ceremony held on September 30, other artists were honoured in the Established Artist category including gold medalist Nguyen Dinh Tien with the artwork ‘Phần còn lại’, and silver medalist Ta Thi Anh Hong with ‘Chờ’. In addition, Nguyen Ba Dat claimed the title of the Emerging Artist of the Year with the artwork ‘Phía trước - Chậm lại.’

UOB (United Overseas Bank) is a Singaporean multinational banking corporation. Launched in Singapore in 1982, the UOB Painting of the Year competition is described by the bank as the longest-running annual art competition in Singapore and one of the most established art competitions in Southeast Asia.

According to organisers, the fourth edition of the UOB Painting of the Year competition in Vietnam received 40% more entries than the previous year. The submissions featured a wide range of materials and approaches, from oil, lacquer and silk painting to combinations of everyday materials and forms that move beyond conventional painting.

Victor Ngo, CEO of UOB Vietnam, expressed his pride in establishing a platform where artists can gain recognition, share their stories, and connect with a broader audience across the region.

Winners of UOB Painting of the Year Vietnam 2025 announced

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