At an age when most Singaporeans near the twilight of their careers, Ms Ho Seok Kee discovered the highlight of her 60-year-old life.

Six years ago, she won the UOB Painting of the Year (POY) – her first mark of recognition for a lifelong passion that she sidelined for most of her life.

“It was so unbelievable,” says Ms Ho. “I needed some time to really absorb this. I wasn’t even confident of my painting, and I didn’t know where this would go.

“I just thought that I wanted to do something that was of interest to me.”

Her self-doubt proved to be unfounded; she secured her second POY award last year.

Did it bring her fame? Or a means for financial gain? Yes, somewhat. But Ms Ho still did not feel fulfilled. 

“I am not an artist that can just keep producing and selling my artwork,” she says. “I cannot resonate with this kind of practice, and it did not make me happy at the end of the day.”

Can art achieve a deeper purpose? One beyond creative expression? 

Her answer: Art with heart. The artistic endeavour, she realised, must go beyond creating something merely pretty. 

Today, she uses her artistic flair to promote mental wellness as an advocate, coach and volunteer. She uses art to help the anxious and restless heal emotionally and to be calm through painting. 

Her beneficiaries include both the young and the elderly.

She shares the concept of art as a prescription, where healthcare professionals recommend engagement with artistic or creative activities as part of an intervention plan to improve health and well-being. 

“It provides participants the opportunities for self-expression, creativity, and personal growth,” Ms Ho says. “It also fosters a sense of community and social connection, which is very important for the elderly.”

She is well-versed in the subject, having attained a master's in applied gerontology from Nanyang Technological University in 2022 – a pursuit driven by her search for meaning and fulfilment after she became a professional artist. Gerontology refers to the scientific study of the aspects of ageing.

That helped in her work with social service organisations Rainbow Centre and Metta Day Rehabilitation Centre for the Elderly, when she started volunteering in 2019 and 2023 respectively.

Her new-found purpose aligns with the essence of UOB’s initiative. “At UOB, (we believe) the visual arts illuminate lives and open minds to possibilities, just as it has done for Ms Ho,” says Mrs Christine Ip, head of Group Strategic Communications and Brand at UOB.

“As such, we have never stopped hosting the Painting of the Year competition. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, we hosted the awards ceremony virtually for the very first time, continuing to send the positive message to all: The power of art to unify and to heal.

“Just as what Ms Ho is trying to do now.”

Art after a late start

Growing up in a kampung off Paya Lebar, she had, at 12, dreamed of being a full-time artist. It was a move unheard of at the time – and left unfulfilled for most of her life.

Her Primary 6 art teacher had liked a painting she did, and asked to keep it. “I was elated and very inspired. I thought maybe one day, someone will buy my drawing of patterns to do prints,” Ms Ho recalls.

After completing her O levels, she worked various jobs, such as a private school English language teacher, a bank cashier and an administrator. 

She married in 1990 and became a full-time homemaker in 2001. She has a daughter, 28, and son, 26.

Ms Ho lets on that her life – from painter wannabe in primary school to full-time artist today – has not been easy. She juggled family and personal commitments with her academic studies, looking after her elderly mother, and spending what little time left painting.

The act of painting can be painstaking, Ms Ho says. Her 2018 POY winning entry was a smaller recreation of her original artwork – where she had painted “millions and millions” of dots that resembled the texture of rice grains, across an 11-metre-long white rice paper canvas. She was inspired by the works of famous Song Dynasty painter Mi Fu.

It took Ms Ho a month to complete, working at an art studio at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, where she was doing her final-year project for a degree in fine arts.

She merged her painstaking approach with her passion to heal lives through art. For example, through her work with seniors, she ensures that her art programmes are effective forms of therapy.

Mr Razif Wong, operations executive at Metta Day Rehabilitation Centre for the Elderly, shares that the positive outcomes “are evident as the elderly seem happier after the sessions”.

“Participants have shown some improvement in their emotional and mental well-being,” says Mr Wong, “showcasing a new-found vibrancy and enthusiasm in their daily lives.

“Her innovative and empathetic approach to art therapy sets her apart. She’s brought an additional dimension to our wellness programmes.”

Ms Ho’s work with children also shines through, says Mr Yazid Eunos, visual arts trainer at Rainbow Centre.

“The resilience she demonstrates in introducing students to new mediums, especially the challenging Chinese ink painting, speaks volumes about her determination to provide a diverse and enriching learning experience,” says Mr Yazid. 

“Her emphasis on slowing down in the creative process and fostering patience among the students is not only valuable in the context of art,” he says. “It also instils valuable life skills that they can carry with them beyond the art studio.”

Art as a fresh start

At 60, Ms Ho is making a fresh start in two ways: Earning an income and healing lives.

“Before I became a full-time artist, I was a “kancheong spider” (a Singlish term for someone who is always anxious).

“Now I am calm even in difficult circumstances. I feel my qi (intrinsic energy) liberated. I am fortunate in that I can apply my art to heal lives. 

“For me, art must have a heart.”

Banking on art

UOB’s involvement in the arts first began in the 1970s, when it acquired and displayed the work of local artists at their then-new office building on Bonham Street, “to encourage local artists and at the same time, the public to appreciate art,” says UOB’s Mrs Ip.

To uncover and nurture artistic talent, UOB started the Painting of the Year (POY) competition in 1982. The annual, Singapore-based competition has since been expanded to the region, open to artists from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and as of last year, Vietnam.

The competition also serves as a platform for social impact. Over the last four decades, UOB has supported art in the region through a wide range of visual arts programmes, partnerships and outreach initiatives. 

“We believe that art can transcend language, culture, geography and time,” says Mrs Ip. “This aligns with our commitment to connect and to strengthen bonds in our communities.”

For example, Mrs Ip shares how POY artists are invited to conduct art workshops for disadvantaged children, to raise appreciation of art and to make art accessible. “Through these initiatives, we hope to uplift communities.”

The bank also commissions POY artists to create artworks for its charity auctions, with proceeds benefiting communities in need.

“Art and banking are borne of passion and planning, knowing when to use a fine touch, and when to act in bold strokes,” says Mrs Ip. 

“Banking is more than numbers; it has the power to transform lives. To us, this is the art of banking.”

This is the ninth of a 12-part series in partnership with