Sovereign Students Prize makes triumphant return to Singapore
The Sovereign Art Foundation’s (SAF) Students Prize made a triumphant return to Singapore after a five-year absence, showcasing the work of outstanding young artists from secondary schools across the city.
Artworks by the 20 finalists went on display at ART SG, Southeast Asia’s leading international art fair, in the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore from 17 to 19 January. Coinciding with Singapore Art week, the exhibition attracted thousands of visitors, giving our artists valuable exposure.
An awards ceremony was held the final day, when the winners were announced, and financial grants were presented both the artists and their schools.
Joey Chua from Nanyang Girls’ High School received the Judges’ Prize, awarded to the entry with the highest score, for her artwork Sink. Joey received SGD1,400, while her school was awarded SGD3,500.
Chloe Chua Yu Xuan from School of the Arts, Singapore, took the Public Vote Prize, determined by over 500 votes from the public who attended the exhibition or voted online, for her piece Past/Present Tense. Chloe received SGD700, while her school was awarded SGD1,800.
SAF’s Students Prizes are annual awards that celebrate the importance of art in the education system and recognise the quality of artworks produced by secondary-school students across Bahrain, the UK, Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Cyprus, Malta, Mauritius, Portugal and Singapore.
At the end of the exhibition, the finalists’ artworks were sold off in an online auction, with proceeds split evenly between each student and SAF, which uses the proceeds to fund it charitable work to support disadvantaged and vulnerable children around the world using the expressive arts to support their educational needs and help them develop important life skills.
The selection of the finalists for the Singapore Students Prize and the ultimate winner was made a panel of art professionals comprising Singapore-based artist Boo Sze Yang, art consultant Daryl Goh, SAF co-founder and chairman Howard Bilton, and founder and director of Ttitli Iterations, the Singapore-based art firm dedicating to promoting Madhubani art, Sweta Jha.
In other news, ‘Strides for Good’ campaigners James Eliott-Square and Paris Norris are due to arrive in Cape Town on 28 January to set out for The World Marathon Challenge – an event the involves running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.
The first marathon is scheduled to begin at Ultima Basecamp (Antarctica) on 31 January and will be followed by marathons in Cape Town (Africa), Perth (Australia), Dubai (Asia), Madrid (Europe), Fortaleza (South America) and Miami (North America).
James and Paris are running to raise funds for SAF and everyone at SAF will be cheering them on! Follow SAF’s Instagram account for further updates!