13-19 Art Prize opens at Takashimaya with works by teens and persons with special needs

[SINGAPORE] Paintings of a girl overwhelmed by academic pressure and a cat with a porcelain body that appears to crumble took the top honours at the 13-19 Art Prize 2026, which drew 263 submissions from young artists in Singapore and South-east Asia.

The winning works are now on display at Ngee Ann City Atrium, alongside entries from Art Without Limits, a companion category for artists with intellectual disabilities that attracted 37 entries.

The main competition’s Gold Awards went to Zhou Shanwei, 16, for Under Pressure, and Zhao Manxu, 14, for Lost Memories.

Zhou’s painting shows a girl surrounded by giant controlling hands, scattered books and an hourglass, capturing the weight of teenage expectations.

Meanwhile, Zhao’s delicate artwork depicts a cat with a crumbling porcelain body, a symbol of how cherished memories can crack and fragment over time.

As for the Art Without Limits companion category, the top prize went to four 15-year-olds with special needs: Muhammad Aariq Rizqi Samrudy, Irfan Musa, Nur Cahaya Hashim and Rozita Ezyana Abdullah.

Their artwork, Prosperity in Bloom, comprises four Chinese brush paintings of koi fish, lotus flowers, blossoms and citrus fruits.

At the awards ceremony on Saturday (Oct 17), Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Social and Family Development Eric Chua said in his six years working with persons with disabilities and their caregivers, one wish had surfaced repeatedly: “to be treated like anyone else, to be seen for who they are”.

The exhibition, he added, showed how society could “look beyond labels” and recognise the person behind each artwork. “We don’t want inclusion to be something that is special, something that happens only on a few days in a year,” he said.

Instead, he hoped to make inclusion an ordinary part of life, beginning with something as simple as asking an artist what inspired their work. “That simple interest actually says to the artists: I see you and I want to hear your story.”

Organised by arts charity TRCL and supported by The Business Times since 2021, the 13-19 Art Prize recognises artists aged 13 to 19 through a physical-art category for Singapore residents and a digital category for entrants in South-east Asia.

In 2025, CGS International Securities Singapore stepped in as a major sponsor and helped expand the competition to include artists with special needs through Art Without Limits.

This year, CGS International Securities Singapore contributed S$30,000 in cash, while Takashimaya Singapore provided about S$23,350 in venue space, marketing support and shopping vouchers.

“All of you are very talented winners,” said CGS International Securities CEO Malcolm Koo. “There are many people and organisations that are going to support you on your journey.”

The winning artworks can be purchased by the public through an online silent auction, with starting bids of S$800 for the merit prize winners.

Prospective buyers can browse the catalogue at the same link, choose a work and enter a bid that meets or surpasses the minimum amount. At the end of the auction, the person with the highest bid will be notified via e-mail of their successful bid.

Money raised from the auction of the 13-19 winners will support The Business Times Budding Artists Fund, while sales of Art Without Limits artworks support APSN’s special education schools for persons with mild intellectual disabilities.

The judges of the sixth edition of the main contest comprised artists, art collectors, teachers and gallerists, namely Tan Kheng Lai, Tan See Kia, Nicholas Song, Rosalynn Tay, Zulkhairi Zulkiflee, Chang Siok Eng and Audrey Zhang.

The exhibition at Takashimaya closes on Oct 25, but online bidding continues until 11.59 pm on Nov 30.