PNG Artists Nominated inaugural Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize

THREE prominent Papua New Guinea artists are among thirty-four other artists from 12 countries in the Asia Pacific Region whose artworks that have been nominated for the inaugural Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation Signature Art Prize.

Come October 2008, a jury in the Southeast Asian region will judge and award one of the 34 artists with the highest art prize in Singapore.

The other 31 artists are representing Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam

The three Papua New Guinean artists whose paintings have been nominated are Mr Tom Deko, Mr Martin Morububuna and Mr Daniel Waswas.

Deko ’s Lukautim ol bus na Abus bilong Yumi (Care for our Flora and Fauna) is an acrylic on canvas painting that makes a strong universal statement on environmental issues. “Care for our Flora and Fauna” as the title suggests in pidgin, illustrates the crucial need to look after our natural environment and the natural habitat in the face of the destruction that is occurring globally in the name of progress and national wealth.

Tsunami is Morububuna’s canvas painting that is about giving hope to people, regenerating their lives through giving and sharing. The coming of a tsunami is a time of great disaster when lives are lost, properties are damaged and landscape changed, yet it is also a time when humanity comes together and people offer support to each other to cope and begin new lives.

Waswas ’ Look Within is an acrylic on canvas painting that reflects on the issue of self analysing to address situations that affect individuals in their lives. The portrayal of the same young girl symbolises the notion of self reflection to identify the positives within oneself and aim for self confidence and prosperity, at a time when many in society focus on the negatives and self pity.

These artworks were nominated by Associate Professor Dr. Michael A. Mel, Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic and Development), University of Goroka, Papua New Guinea. Dr Mel is currently the Associate Professor in Indigenous Art and Education at the University of Goroka.

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize series marks a 15-year partnership announced in October 2007 by Singapore Art Museum ( SAM) and APB Foundation to develop and promote contemporary art in the region. Organised by SAM with a sponsorship of SGD 2.25 million from APB Foundation, the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize is a quality mark of distinction and excellence to be awarded triennially to artists whose work represents a significant development in contemporary art.

At the announcement and donation ceremony in 2007, Trustee and Chairman of the Advisory Committee, APB Foundation, Mr Koh Poh Tiong, said the intention for the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize was for its stature to be equivalent to that of the John Moores Painting Competition in the United Kingdom and the RBC Canadian Painting Competition in Canada, and place Singapore on the regional and global map for the arts.

The competition is open to all visual artworks regardless of medium, subject matter and size. The 34 artworks were nominated by respected individuals in the field of art in each country. Each nominator was asked to select up to three works that in their opinion represented an outstanding contemporary artwork produced in their country in the past three years.

The result is a collection of contemporary art with diverse themes and mediums such as painting, sculpture, mixed media, site-specific installation, video, photography, performance art, new media and interactive work that showcases the richness of visual art forms in contemporary art in the region today.

In August, the 34 nominees will be cut to a shortlist of 10 artists who will be in the running for the five awards - three Juror’s Choice Awards of SGD 10,000 each, a SGD 10,000 People’s Choice Award and the Grand Prize of SGD 45,000.

An international jury panel will also be announced in August and a voting website will be launched at that time to provide a platform for the public to vote for their favourite artwork; the artist whose work gets the most public votes will receive the People’s Choice Award. From October to November, Singapore Art Museum will hold an exhibition showcasing the 10 finalist works in the competition.

“The quality of the nominated artwork is remarkable. We are seeing an unexpected diversity of themes and mediums that augurs well for the contemporary art scene in the region”, the Director of the Singapore Art Museum, Mr Kwok Kian Chow, said today. “They will certainly provoke and stimulate lively public debate about contemporary art in the region, which is exactly the aim of the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize.”

“Asia Pacific Breweries actively seeks opportunities to play a constructive and developmental role wherever we operate and we are pleased that with the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize, APB is able to show the region and the world the quality of the art in PNG and give our local artists a chance to participate in the highest juried art prize in the Southeast Asian region’ said Mr Stan Joyce, General Manager of SP Brewery.

SP Brewery is part of the Asia Pacific Breweries Group of Companies which is based in Singapore. The Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize is sponsored by Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation.

More information on the ABP Foundation Signature Art Prize can be found at http://www.nhb.gov.sg/ SAM/signatureartprize

Please refer to the following annexes for more information:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information regarding this Media Release, call the SP Brewery Corporate Affairs Department on: Telephone: (675) 302 8255

Fax: (675) 325 0656 Email: gorethy.semi@sp.com.pg