Established in Hong Kong in 2015 by UOB, the UOB Art Academy aims to make art more accessible, nurture local artistic talents and rejuvenate cultural heritage. Operating as a registered charity in Hong Kong since November 2023, the Academy achieves its goals through various initiatives, including the UOB Art in Ink Awards, art outreach programmes, workshops and collaborations within local community.Since its inception in 2017, the UOB Art in Ink Awards has been committed to promoting and fostering ink art as a unique art form and a representation of Chinese culture. The Awards encourages and inspires the innovation in the medium while celebrating the outstanding achievements of local artistic talents. In 2023, the Awards expanded to mainland China as a campus edition. In 2024, the new Emerging Artist Category was introduced in the mainland China's edition to further promote ink art and nurture artistic talents.