This represents one of the few winning artworks in the competition that centres entirely on a heritage object, its narrative seemingly unattached to the artist’s personal story. It is an arresting image, as we are struck by the contrast between the carefully reproduced ornate detailing and aged surface, and the sharp, neat modern feel of its clear glass casing and surrounding walls (presumably of a museum) within which it is held.

The artist provides a description which shows an appreciation of the object’s history and his careful thinking through of how to document it in his painting:

“Perasapan or ‘incense burner’ is a ceramic brazier, traditionally used as part of a funeral procession or in medicinal practices of the past. The brazier is adorned with characteristics of Chinese art on its lid, particularly through its moulding of a dragon – synonymous with the visual artistic heritage of Chinese civilization – and is attributed to the Ching dynasty era. The brazier becomes the focal point of the artwork through the use of colours and illustration techniques used to make it very realistic. The use of faded and dark colours applied describe a historical object in an antique condition, as a treisured heirloom that needs to be preserved.”

Even in the most neutral settings, detaching an object from its use and context, there are unseen histories waiting to be uncovered by the curious.