Sylvia Ong has been announced as the recipient of the inaugural The Arts Residency Prize by the Arts Club Dubai.
The prize was awarded to Ong’s painting After Returning, made from oil and oil bar on canvas. Ong was awarded the USD 10,000 Residency Prize and her artwork has entered The Arts Club’s permanent collection.
Ong’s reception of the prize follows her participation in the 2025–2026 inaugural Artist Residency Programme at The Arts Club Dubai. As part of the programme, participants are invited to take part in an end-of-residency exhibition to mark their six-month journey exploring their practices under the guidance and funding of a committee of curators, collectors and artists including Elie Khouri, Laila Binbrek, Amelie Von Wedel, Sara Abou Khalil, Chafa Ghaddar and Rahul Waney.
As the first residents in the programme, Sylvia Ong and fellow resident Salmah Almansoori are presenting their work in two exhibitions at The Arts Club Dubai on the stairway landing of the second floor. Ong’s Inscape can be viewed alongside After Returning by Almansoori, with both exhibitions responding to the theme of Singular Focus which seeks to understand how in a time marked by excess, one can seek clarity and learn to exercise restraint. All artworks in the exhibition were available during a silent auction to club members, with the full proceeds going directly to the artists.
