Australia Sets the Stage as Finalists Announced for 2021 Sovereign Asian Art Prize
Sovereign Asian Art Prize, one of the most coveted awards of the Asia Pacific region, returns for its 17th iteration with record breaking entries and a strong representation from Australia.
TEXT: CoBo Editorial
IMAGES: Sovereign Art Foundation
Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) has revealed the strong lineup of 30 finalists for its 2021 Sovereign Asian Art Prize (SAAP). CoBo Social is thrilled to be the prestigious award’s media partner once again.
The esteemed panel of international judges this year—comprised of John McDonald, art critic for the Sydney Morning Herald and film critic, Australian Financial Review; Georgina Adam, journalist, author, and art market Editor-at-Large for The Art Newspaper; Shanghai-based artist Zhang Enli; and Nancy Lee, Chairman, Friends of Hong Kong Museum of Art—brings expertise and experience from a wide sector of the art industry.
Chaired by writer, curator and museum director David Elliott, the panel of international judges selected 30 finalists from a total of 744 entries hailing from 30 countries and territories working across a vast mix of mediums from painting and photography to sculpture, digital media and others. Among the selected entries, a stellar 28 are new to SAAP—a significant change from past iterations—and Australia has the strongest representation by country this year with five finalists, followed by India, Pakistan, Philippines and South Korea. Hong Kong is represented by painter Wong Chun Hei.
In addition to the Grand Prize of US$30,000, the finalists are also in the running for a Public Vote Prize worth US$1,000, and the Vogue Hong Kong Women’s Art Prize worth US$5,000. Winners will be announced in May, with shortlisted artworks exhibited and auctioned in Hong Kong, in which the proceeds will be split evenly between the artists and charitable programmes for disadvantaged children in Asia.
As in previous years, an exciting array of education programmes and public events will take place alongside the exhibition of finalists’ artworks. Full schedule and event details will be announced shortly.