The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) announces the 30 artists shortlisted for The 2024 Sovereign Asian Art Prize. Three Filipino artists — namely Demet, Rocky Cajigan and Veronica Peralejo — are included in the list.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Asian art award, which provides artists with international recognition and generous financial prizes. Moreover, The Prize is an important charitable endeavor, raising substantial funds to support disadvantaged children by auctioning the finalists' artworks.

The finalist artworks were shortlisted from 362 entries by 171 artists, nominated into The Prize by 55 independent professionals. The finalists themselves hail from 15 countries and regions across Asia-Pacific, with Hong Kong being the most strongly represented with nine artists shortlisted.

Nearly two-thirds of the shortlisted artists are women, a first for the Prize. Notable

Prize alumni include Etsu Egami, Rashid Rana, Lindy Lee, Yang Yongliang, Adrian Wong, Chow Chun Fai, Qi Zhilong, Stephen Wong, Alvin Ong, Rithika Merchant, and Alex Seton.

A judging panel will select two finalists, to be awarded the US$30,000 grand prize and the US$5,000 Vogue Hong Kong Women's Art Prize, respectively. A US$1,000 Public Vote Prize will be awarded to the artist whose work attracts the most votes from the public.

The judging panel for this milestone year comprises writer, curator, and museum director, David Elliott (Chair Judge); Executive Director and Curator at Para Site in Hong Kong, Billy Tang; artist and former Prize recipient, Debbie Han; independent curator, critic, and policy analyst, Marion Pastor Roces; and artist and winner of The 2023 Prize, Parul Gupta.

The 30 finalists' artworks will be shown and can be voted on, both in person and online, during a free public exhibition at 9/F, H Queen's, 80 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong until May 16. Younger visitors can explore the exhibition's key themes with a special self-guided activity, developed by SAF's experienced art therapists and programme facilitators to promote family bonding and self-discovery through art.

Selected artworks will be sold at the exhibition at a fixed price on a first-come-first-served basis. The remaining works, except the Grand Prize winner, will be auctioned at a Gala Dinner at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong on May 17, with proceeds split evenly between the artists and SAF's charity programs.

Auction funds will support SAF's Make It Better (MIB) program, which has been providing expressive arts workshops for children living in Hong Kong's most disadvantaged communities since 2013.

The workshops support the social, emotional, and behavioural challenges of children with special educational needs including autism, ADHD, and other specific learning difficulties, and are run by a professional team of registered Art Therapists. The program currently serves over 170 beneficiaries weekly and has recently expanded to provide education, training and support for the children's caregivers and social workers.