The Sovereign Art Foundation’s (SAF) Sovereign Asian Art Prize celebrated its 21st edition in March, showcasing remarkable talents from artists across the Asia-Pacific region.
This year marked a significant milestone as SAF partnered with Phillips Auction House to auction the selected works during their New Now Contemporary Design Auction, coinciding with Hong Kong’s renowned Art Week. This collaboration attracted bidders from three continents, generating substantial global interest and exposure for SAF’s finalists.
The exhibition, held at Phillips’ headquarters in the WKCDA Tower in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, attracted over 3,000 visitors. This fantastic turnout offered our finalists considerable exposure and reflected the growing interest in contemporary art. The exhibition showcased the diverse array of shortlisted works, highlighting various mediums, sizes and techniques.
Public engagement was a key aspect of this year’s prize, with over 4,000 votes received from the public, demonstrating strong community support for the artists. The event garnered extensive media coverage valued at over USD100,000, thanks to wonderful partners like The Financial Times, Vogue Hong Kong and Art & Market (A&M), a multimedia platform presenting specialist content on Southeast Asian art. This coverage significantly amplified the visibility of participating finalists and the importance of the prize within Asia.
Our digital marketing campaign was also a great success, achieving nearly 180,000 views and reaching over 40,000 accounts across various platforms. The campaign attracted more than 5,000 profile visits and included daily emails sent to 10,000 global subscribers, along with a digital catalogue, to connect our finalists with a broader audience.
Importantly, all funds generated from the Sovereign Asian Art Prize contribute to our flagship initiative, the Make It Better (MIB) Programme reinforcing SAF’s commitment to making a positive impact in the Hong Kong community.
Launched in 2013, MIB supports children from low-income backgrounds and those with special educational needs (SEN) in Hong Kong. Led by dedicated art therapists and facilitators, the workshops cater to children aged 6-12, providing them with valuable creative opportunities and support.
Voting for the 2025 Global Students Art Prize got underway on 14 April and runs through to 30 April. This Prize brings together the winning artworks from the 2024 Students Prize competitions in Portugal, Guernsey, Gibraltar, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malta and Gozo, Cyprus and the Isle of Man.
The Global Judges Prize of £800 is awarded to the student artist with the highest score from the judges, while a further £2,000 is awarded to their school. The winner of the Global Public Vote Prize will receive £400, with a further £1,000 awarded to their school. The winners will be announced on our social media in May.
This Global Students Art Prize generates cultural exchange by showcasing artworks from the most talented and promising students across the globe. Please visit our web gallery now to see the shortlisted artworks and vote for your favourite student work.
