Excellence in the Lens
Sim Chi Yin bags the inaugural Objectifs Women in Focus Art Prize.
Words Rica Mae Labbao
Photos courtesy of Objectifs
January 07, 2026
A single essence unifies a thousand stories with just a photo, but a collection of visual pieces narrates an artist’s personal journey of growth, intention, and purpose. Sim Chi Yin, a Singaporean artist, embodies transition and storytelling in her art practice, naming her the first recipient of the Objectifs Women in Focus Art Prize.
The award jury celebrates Sim Chi Yin’s achievement and commitment to her creative works: “Sim Chi Yin's work exemplifies gravitas and sophistication in its depth and breadth. Her use of photography has evolved from a photojournalistic approach to a multidisciplinary practice that folds rigorous research into sensitive, thoughtful interventions addressing contemporary concerns and gaps in history.”
The Suitcase Is A Little Bit Rotten-Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt, Berlin, 2024, Photo by Hanna-Wiedemann-HKW
As part of the inaugural award, aside from SGD 8,000, Sim Chi Yin is set to present an artist talk on January 21, where she will trace back her journey from her journalistic days up to her modern-day visual creative reality.
For her, the award is a beautiful chance to rediscover her exploration—a look back on the journey, reflection on the learnings, and acknowledgment of help: “In the artist's life of constant rejection, it's always wonderful to win anything! But it is especially moving to be acknowledged in one's home country. The documentary and contemporary art worlds are two universes unto themselves, and my transition over the past ten years has not always been easy or smooth.”
One Day We_ll Understand-performance premiere-Esplanade Singapore, 2024, Photo by Bryan van der Beek
Objectifs – Centre for Photography and Film introduced the “Objectifs Women in Focus Art Prize” with the objective of supporting and recognizing mid-career women and non-binary lens-based artists at a pivotal moment of their practice. An open call for nominations was done, followed by an evaluation made by the jury composed of Dr. Charmaine Toh, Lourdes A. Samson, and Yvonne Tam.
“Through the Objectifs Women in Focus Art Prize, we recognize artists whose practices demonstrate excellence and innovation, particularly those that are socially engaged and open up space for impact, questioning, and dialogue,” Emmeline Yong, Co-founder and Centre Director of Objectifs, asserts.
Two Filipinas were also recognized as runners-up for the award. Wawi Navarroza and Nana Buxani both captured the panel’s commendation for their distinct work style, commitment, and purpose. Wawi excelled with her captivating and vibrant large-format photographic pieces that exemplify Southeast Asian identity and womanhood in the contemporary scene, while Nana's artistic strength has shown her works as a powerful catalyst for social change and vivid representations of cruel realities.
Meanwhile, special mention citations were also awarded to three artists: Wei Leng Tay from Singapore, Irene Barlian of Indonesia, and Minstrel Kluk of Malaysia.
Objectifs is in high spirits to continue celebrating and supporting exceptional women and non-binary artists through the Prize for the next year. In 2027, the next call for nominations will include filmmakers and artists working primarily in the film industry.
For interested participants in Sim Chi Yin’s talk, you may check out the link: simchiyin-artisttalk.peatix.com.
