Young Guns is an award given to the young promising artist who boldly makes an impact in the arena of visual arts by displaying consistency, perseverance and high artistic quality in his or her creations. This tri-annual exposition of works by a new generation of Malaysian contemporary art practitioners is designed to become platforms to encourage young talents to push and develop their artistic practices further before they can be established themselves in the art scene. Many young artists are aware of the realities of daily life and at the early stages of their development, they are faced with the options of either to produce works that will appeal to a wider audience or to simply abandon the lofty idea of an art career altogether for something practical.

To the date YOUNG GUNS showcases the works of 29 young contemporary artists selected by HOM Art Trans as a solid representation of some of the exciting and upcoming talents working in the local art scene today. The various genres and approaches that are identified with these artists, as well as the themes and issues that concern them, set them distinctively apart from the rest. As this batch of participants is now beginning their artistic careers in earnest, it is hoped that this event can serve as a helpful platform to spur them on to expand their ideas further while unleashing their potentials in their medium of choice. 

The basic idea of the exhibition is to give recognition to young artists who have, through sheer hard work and perseverance, developed an approach consistent with their outlooks as visual art practitioners without being too dictated or overwhelmed by market forces. Once selected, each participant is commissioned to produce a big sized work with the instructions that they ‘step out of their comfort zones and challenge their abilities in terms of ideas and techniques’.