Newcomer artist Lim Tong Xin has won the 2026 UOB Painting of the Year (POY) Malaysia award (Established Category) with a poignant tribute to her late grandmother.
Her winning piece, She Waited, is deeply personal, reflecting on the artist’s grandmother during her final year of life. It captures the tenderness and vulnerability that emerge as the roles of caregiver and cared-for gradually begin to shift.
The work began as a promise between Lim, 24, and her grandmother, who died in January after living with breast cancer.
"I had promised her that one day I would paint a picture for her as a way of remembering her, and that promise always stayed in my mind," said the Kajang, Selangor-born artist.
In the beginning, Lim began painting her grandmother based on the memories she could recall, but as the work progressed, she began thinking more deeply about those challenging final months.
“The image that stayed with me most strongly was of my grandmother sitting on the toilet, waiting for my mother to help her take a shower. She had always been independent and cared deeply about being clean and presentable,” said Lim, who trained at the Malaysian Institute of Art in Kuala Lumpur.
"But as her illness progressed, her body became weaker and she no longer had the strength to bathe by herself. She could only wait for her daughter to come and help her. That sense of waiting became the most important state in the painting, which is why I named it She Waited," she added.
Through symbolic images, textured surfaces and muted tones, Lim’s artwork explores the close link between compassion and suffering, while showing how love can endure even after loss.
Beyond its technical skill, the work touches on universal themes of care, grief and human connection, leaving a quiet impression on those who see it.
Inspired by US artist Keith Haring and French street artist Dawal, Lim held her first solo exhibition, Tong In The House, in March 2024 at Zhan Art Space in Petaling Jaya.
The power of art
"This year's winning artwork, She Waited, exemplifies the power of art to transform deeply personal experiences into stories that resonate on a universal level. Year after year, we are inspired not only by the exceptional quality of Malaysian artistic talent, but also by the thought-provoking perspectives expressed through themes of identity, heritage, hope and resilience," said Datuk Ng Wei Wei, Chief Executive Officer of UOB Malaysia at the award ceremony in KL on Sept 25.
As the 2026 UOB POY (Malaysia) winner, Lim will receive RM100,000 and represent Malaysia at the 2026 UOB South-East Asian POY competition, alongside winners from Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
For Lim, the award is an important step in her journey as an artist, giving her more confidence and motivation to keep learning, exploring and growing.
"Winning an award like this has always been something I've dreamed of, but beyond the award itself, She Waited also helped me find a part of myself again. I feel that this is only the beginning. I hope to continue developing this theme and creating a series of works inspired by these memories, so that I can share more of this story with audiences through my art," she said.
While Lim took home the main prize, artists Low Kar Lai, Binti and Kim Ng also made a strong showing, winning the Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, respectively, in the Established Artist category.
In the Emerging Artist category, 47-year-old Harpreet Kaur was named Most Promising Artist of the Year for her mixed-media work, Matriarch.
Part of an ongoing series on the Malaysian Sikh diaspora, the work draws on family stories, personal experiences and historical research to explore identity, belonging and resilience.
With a dreamlike mix of family members, cultural symbols and beloved pets, Matriarch celebrates the lasting strength of family and cultural ties across generations.
Rounding out the Emerging Artist category, Law Invent, Fung Yue Qian and Nur Syamilla Mohamed Sidek won the Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, respectively.
The UOB Painting of the Year (POY) competition was established in Singapore in 1982 and expanded to Malaysia in 2011. In Malaysia, it offers the country’s highest cash prize for an art competition.
The regional award ceremony will be held in Singapore on Oct 28.
The UOB South-East Asian POY winner will receive a cash prize of S$13,000 (RM41,500). In addition, all country winners will be eligible to compete for a UOB-sponsored artist residency programme abroad.
"What resonated with me was not only the quality of the works, but the individuality of thought and perspectives expressed through them. Each artist brought something deeply personal to the canvas and reflected the richness and evolving character of our art landscape," said Intan Rafiza, chief judge of the 2026 UOB POY (Malaysia) competition.
