The National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute (NTCRI) will lead six top Taiwanese craft brands to join Crafts Bangkok 2019 that runs from April 4 through 7 in Thailand.
The lineup this year includes Taiping Blue (太平藍), a Taichung-based brand of indigo dye crafts; Tian Guan (天冠銀帽), a Tainan maker of silver crowns and headdresses for holy figures; Enguchi Toys (江口設計), a Taipei toy shop specializing in designs for small children up to 6 years old; Good Gold (谷同金), a Taichung workshop that upcycles discarded metals; metalsmith Su Hsiao-meng (蘇小夢); and the New Taipei City-based Bao Xiang Ceramic Art Studio (寶象陶瓷).
NTCRI Director Hsu Keng-hsiu (許耿修) noted that southbound cultural exchanges through crafts and traditional arts have expanded in recent years, including the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Support Arts and Crafts International Centre of Thailand (SACICT) and the NTCRI last year.
SACICT was established with the support of the Thai royal family and has more than 60 branches across Thailand. The organization works to assist in the industrialization of traditional crafts and add value to rural arts and traditional ways of life. Its mission is much the same as that of the NTCRI, with each organization being the chief promoter of handicraft culture in its respective homeland.
The two organizations have held several exhibitions and technical exchanges last year, with the NTCRI sending a group to take part in Crafts Bangkok 2018, and the SACICT exhibiting colorful Thai ceramics, fabrics, bamboo art, and lacquerware at the 2018 Taiwan Creative Expo.
Director Lee added that the NTCRI is also working to arrange more pop-up events and showcases of Taiwanese craftsmanship at notable venues in Thailand, including Thai department store conglomerate The Mall and River City Bangkok, a shopping center on the Chao Phraya River.
Crafts Bangkok 2019
- Date: April 4 – 7, 2019
- Venue: Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre
- Address: 88 Bangna Trad Road Khwaeng Bang Na, Bangna BANGKOK 10260, Thailand
- Website: http://www.sacict.or.th