The fourth edition of Spotlight by Penang Art District which had encouraged applicants to ponder on their growth during these challenging times and their hopes for the promising years of recovery ahead received a total of 80 entries.

This year’s panel of judges include Narelle McMurtrie, Founder of ChinaHouse and Art Lane, Lee Khai, Chairman of Penang State Art Gallery, Ee Lene Tan, Owner of Art Gallery Penang and Ch’ng Kiah Kiean a renown Penang visual artist.

The following is a list of the top 20 finalists:
1. Ahmad Arief Hakimi bin Yunus 
2. Dariel Fazree bin Yazid 
3. Jonanthan Jayasuria 
4. Putri Nur Ellis binti Mohd Nahar Khan 
5. Tan Yen Yin 
6. Yeow Lin Shan 
7. Cheong See Min 
8. Choong Guey Syuen 
9. Awang mohd Zaki Awang Suhaili 
10. Ting Yuin Yui 

11. Chong How Jin (Joshua)

12. Hia Pei Qin

13. Muhammad Arash bin Ab Jabbar

14. Seah Kar Wai (Felicia)

15. Won Chin Tong

16. Yong Hong Wooi

17. Amirul Md Noor

18. Izhar Yusrin

19. Lim Wen Ni

20. Dhakshini Jeganathan

Spotlight has emerged as of the major art contests in Penang and even Malaysia. Spotlight 2021 is an open call for artists aged 30 and below with the winner receiving a cash prize of RM5,000 and a solo exhibition.

During the opening of the joint exhibition, the Jury’s Choice awardees were announced too.

Each awardee received RM 1,000 cash prize each.
The following is a list of Jury’s Choice awardees:
1. Chong How Jin (Joshua) 
2. Cheong See Min 5. Amirul Md Noor
3. Izhar Yusrin
4. Yeow Lin Shan

This year’s Spotlight grand prize winner is Choong Guey Syuen from Penang. Her piece is titled “Dreaming encircled by isolation” was inspired by Henry Wallis’ - The Death of Chatterton. Guey Syuen’s piece looks at regeneration of vintage art, a play on human emotions and the snuffing of excitement in one’s life.

A joint exhibition of the Spotlight’s Top 20 will take place 3 – 12 December 2021 at Ming Fine Art Gallery, Gurney Paragon, Penang.