Maria Taniguchi (Philippines)
Photo: Hugo Boss Asia Art Award

The Rockbund Art Museum (RAM) and Hugo Boss have announced the shortlist of six finalists for the 2015 Hugo Boss Asia Art Award for emerging Asian artists.

The second edition of the biennial award places emphasis on greater China, but also focuses on notable young artists from southeast Asia. Each of the six candidates must be in the early stages of their artistic and exhibition practices.

Moe Satt (Myanmar)
Photo: Hugo Boss Asia Art Award

The jury chaired by Larys Frogier, director of the Rockbund Art Museum, selected Guan Xiao (China); Huang Po-Chih (Taiwan); Moe Satt (Myanmar); Maria Taniguchi (Philippines); Vandy Rattana (Cambodia); and Yang Xinguang (China).

The six finalists will each exhibit a specially-commissioned new work at a group show which will be held from October 30 to January 3, 2016.

Vandy Rattana (Cambodia)
Photo: Hugo Boss Asia Art Award

Guan Xiao (China)
Photo: Hugo Boss Asia Art Award

The winner, who will be announced in November, will be chosen based on the work created for the exhibition and will take home a stipend worth ¥300,000 ($48,337) to help develop their artistic practice.

Larys Frogier explained that the award “aims to develop long term and on-going examinations, combinations, confrontations between challenging topics and contexts.” He added “we consider Asia as a construction and as a question to investigate rather than a monolithic area and fixed identities.”

Huang Po-Chih (Taiwan)
Photo: Hugo Boss Asia Art Award

Dr. Hjördis Kettenbach, head of Cultural Affairs at Hugo Boss added “We are very happy to offer this platform to young talents for the second time, especially in such an important cultural context as Asia.”

Yang Xinguang (China)
Photo: Hugo Boss Asia Art Award