How Recognition, Residencies and Regional Exchange Shape Artistic Development in Southeast Asia

From left: Artists Om Mee Ai, Ho Seok Kee, Pannaphan Yodmanee, Yim Yen Sum and moderator Dr Bridget Tracy Tan.

By the NAFA Marketing & Communications Office


Key Takeaways:

• Artistic development in Southeast Asia is shaped not only by individual practice, but by systems of recognition, access and exchange
• Awards such as the UOB Painting of the Year (POY) provide early visibility, financial support and entry into wider networks
• Residencies, including NAFA’s programme in Paris, offer critical time and space for reflection, experimentation and new perspectives
• Through ISEAA, NAFA fosters regional dialogue and exchange

What shapes the development of an artistic practice in Southeast Asia today? Beyond individual talent, artists must navigate systems of recognition, access to time, space and opportunities for exchange across contexts.

This broader question framed Pathway of Practice, an artist dialogue organised by the Institute of Southeast Asian Arts (ISEAA) at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), University of the Arts Singapore (UAS). Held on 18 March 2026, the session brought together four Southeast Asian artists working across painting, installation and mixed media to reflect on how art competitions and residences had impacted their respective practice.

The dialogue featured Korean-born, Singapore-based artist Om Mee Ai, Singaporean artist Ho Seok Kee, Thai artist Pannaphan Yodmanee and Malaysian artist Yim Yen Sum, who reflected on challenges they encountered working across different cultural contexts. Dr Bridget Tracy Tan, Senior Director of ISEAA, Regional judge (Southeast Asia) and Chief Judge (Singapore) for UOB POY moderated the session.

More than a conversation about individual achievements, the dialogue highlighted the broader conditions that were required to sustain an artistic practice. It also reflected NAFA’s role not only as an educational institution, but as an active player, supporting the exchange of ideas across Southeast Asia.

The role of recognition in early practice

The discussion began with a question central to early artistic development: to what extent do art competitions shape the path of an artist? For many, winning competitions provides visibility as well as access to opportunities that could otherwise be difficult to secure.

Mee Ai, whose practice centres on layered geometric abstraction, described winning the UOB Painting of the Year (POY) competition in 2013 as a turning point.

“There were some collectors who recognised my work and said, ‘I saw your work at the UOB POY exhibition and I like it.’ It doesn't mean they want to buy your work, but them saying they find it interesting is already a good start.”

She also emphasised the importance of participation itself. Beyond the prospect of winning, competitions allow artists to benchmark their work, understand what resonates within the wider scene, and gain visibility among galleries and art consultants.

In some cases, that recognition can be transformative. Yen Sum, whose work often explores audience interaction and soft materials, shared how she once balanced three jobs alongside her practice. Winning the first prize in the UOB POY 2016, along with US$25,000 (approximately $32,000), allowed her to step away from those commitments and led to invitations to participate in events such as the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial (IOTA).

“Before getting the award, it always felt like I didn’t have the funds to do this and that,” she shared.

“After winning, I felt like you just need to dream big, and if your idea is solid, then there must be a way to achieve it.”

As the discussion suggests, recognition is not merely about validation, but about access to visibility, networks and the conditions necessary to sustain a practice.

Residency and the opportunities for cultural exchange

While awards can provide recognition and momentum, residencies offer time and space for reflection, experimentation and reset. Such conditions are often difficult to access within everyday constraints.

Seok Kee and Pannaphan, for example, both took part in NAFA’s residency programme at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. The experience of travelling and working in an international context offered time away from daily routines, allowing for greater focus on their practice.

“Going for a residency is not just about producing work,” reflected Seok Kee.

“It’s about changing your mindset, and thinking of your work without the distractions of daily life.”

 

During the residency, Seok Kee also spent time visiting museums and encountered works she had previously only seen online.

“Probably, if you continue with your daily chores, phone calls and such, you don’t really go much deeper into your research. [The experiences during this residency] really shifted the way I wanted to do my work – how I want to present it to the public for them to understand.”

For Pannaphan, a contemporary artist working across installation and mixed media with references to traditional Thai mural painting, the experience extended beyond making work. She spoke about learning to manage aspects of exhibition-making independently.

“Previously, I just relied on the gallery to manage my exhibitions, but for my residency in Paris, I had to manage my exhibition for the two paintings I produced during that period.”

The residency also exposed her to different forms of artistic expression encountered in the city. Observing street practices introduced her to techniques such as decoupage, alongside new ways of thinking about how art might respond to everyday life.

“It was interesting to see how even the homeless could express their unhappiness with society through their art and life.”

Regional context and continuing exchange

The discussion next turned to the realities of working within the region, where limitations of space, resources and infrastructure shape how art is produced and presented. Within this context, the circulation of ideas becomes ever more critical.

Against this landscape, NAFA’s initiatives – such as artist dialogues like Pathway of Practice and its residency programme position the institution as an active connector across local and international contexts, expanding vital networks that support ambition and nurture the courage to create.

The session closed on a clear note: while awards and residencies can open doors, it is sustained commitment that carries a practice forward.

As Seok Kee aptly put it, “As artists, we need to have the courage to really go on with what you want to do and see how the world responds to it.”

In this way, platforms such as Pathway of Practice point to a broader understanding of artistic development – one shaped not only by individual effort, but by the ecosystems that support it.



The Institute of Southeast Asian Arts (ISEAA) supports the study and presentation of art from Southeast Asia through exhibitions, public programmes, research initiatives, and platforms for dialogue between artists, curators and audiences. Together, these efforts deepen rigour and understanding of contemporary arts training at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). Learn more about ISEAA here.