KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 (Bernama) -- CIMB Foundation (“the Foundation”) today announced its support for the Malaysian Emerging Artist Award (“MEA Award”) as the main corporate partner. In conjunction with its upcoming 15th anniversary, the partnership will further invigorate the Malaysian arts and culture industry. Established in 2009, the MEA Award is a biennial art competition that honours the country’s up-and-coming young artists with the aim of providing them with opportunities to advance their ambitions in the local and international arts scene.
The MEA Award is the brainchild of renowned local artist, Bayu Utomo Radjikin of HOM Art Trans, where five winning artists will be selected to make their mark through their outstanding artworks. Each winner will receive a cash prize of RM10,000, a 10-day trip to visit galleries and studios in Indonesia, art supplies, participation in a group exhibition, along with a solo exhibition.
The MEA Award by CIMB Foundation, brings to life one of the Foundation’s key pillars, which is empowering the community economically, by creating more opportunities and improving the well-being of the creative industry. In addition, the award further reinforces CIMB Group’s commitment towards strengthening the local arts and cultural ecosystem.
Rafe Haneef, Chief Executive Officer of CIMB Foundation said, “As a purpose driven organisation, we remain committed to elevating and enhancing the lives of the surrounding community that we operate in. In fact, one of our key pillars is economic empowerment, and the MEA Award by CIMB Foundation recognises the importance of preserving and advancing the arts and culture industry. We are also extremely pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with prominent artist, Bayu Utomo Radjikin to empower young and aspiring artists to elevate their careers, providing them the platform to gain exposure and appeal beyond the local market. Looking ahead, we hope the public and our loyal customers will be able to extend their support towards creating a vibrant marketplace for the visual arts in Malaysia as well as the region in parallel with the growing demand for the creative industry within the region.”
“More importantly, this award is part of an exciting lineup of activities we have in store for our 15th anniversary celebration, which will take place this October. The event will be a culmination of our efforts over the last 15 years, and we want to take the opportunity to recognise and appreciate our partners and beneficiaries that have brought about meaningful partnerships and impacts to the communities,” added Rafe.
Commenting on this meaningful partnership, Bayu said, “I am excited for the MEA Award by CIMB Foundation as this is the very first time we have a well-established institution with the stature of CIMB Foundation as the main corporate partner. By having CIMB Foundation on board, I am confident we will be able to generate greater momentum in exposure and awareness for arts and culture, highlighted through the creative artworks by the winning artists. We are also excited that CIMB Foundation has taken the lead as a corporate citizen which champions artistic aspirations at both individual and industry levels. I encourage all young and emerging artists to participate in the competition, illuminating the scene with their creative energy, while contributing to the robustness of the industry. We look forward to their progress and hope they will make their mark in the industry by leveraging the opportunities offered by the MEA Award by CIMB Foundation.”
Submissions are open from now until 15 September 2022 and interested participants can submit their applications via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To learn more about the MEA Award by CIMB Foundation and its criteria, kindly visit the official Instagram page @emergingaward.
CIMB Foundation is CIMB Group’s corporate social responsibility and philanthropic arm, focusing on four impact areas comprising education; health and community wellbeing; economic empowerment as well as climate and environment. These contribute towards creating sustainable impacts in the communities around us, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
