The 2019 "Dream of Craft" exhibition tour gathers aesthetic craftworks by Taiwanese artisans to showcase the beauty of craftsmanship to the public.
Co-sponsored by the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute (NTCRI) and Shin King Mitsukoshi Culture and Education Foundation, the annual exhibition presents the winning works from the 2019 Taiwan Craft Competition, masterpieces from the winner of the 2018 Crafts Achievement Award, in addition to inventive handicrafts from 2019 Taiwan Good Crafts.
Taiwan Craft Competition is one of the largest and important industrial arts contests in Taiwan. This year there has also been an increase in prize money, which further attracted more competitive contenders. Entries may be created from any type of material and no recommendation required, aiming to further motivate innovative craft creation.
The Taiwan Craft Competition is a platform for showcasing the ingenuity of local craftsmen, a channel for facilitating the accumulation of energy and exchange of experiences in Taiwan's crafts industry, and a mechanism for driving the industry to continuously upgrade Taiwan's daily aesthetics.
This year, a total of 568 entries were submitted, and after the preliminary, secondary and final judging selection, 73 outstanding works were selected and the winners were announced at the award ceremony.
National Crafts Achievement Award – Sun Chao
Crystalline glaze master Sun Chao (孫超), who has committed his whole life to this art, has been selected as the recipient of the 2018 National Crafts Achievement Award. He was singled out by the jury panel from among 15 veteran craftspeople for the honor. His award is a reflection of his superlative craftsmanship, personality, and attitude, as well as his work in promoting and passing on his craft.
The National Crafts Achievement Award, sponsored by Ministry of Culture and NTCRI, was established in 2007 to elevate the prestige of traditional crafts and to reward those who have devoted their lives to refining their art.
Taiwan Good Craft & Yii
NTCRI assists Taiwan craft brands with the national craft brand certification to be promoted at national museum shops. At present, there are at least 48 domestic and foreign channels. Additionally, NTCRI actively invites these Taiwan craft brands to participate in domestic and international trade shows and exchanges, in order to further enhance brand awareness, and promote the development of Taiwan craft industry.
Yii brand was conceived in 2008 by NTCRI to stimulate creative dialogue between Taiwanese designers and craftspeople to promote Taiwan’s representative of cultural creative images.
Yii brand has authorized its works to use the national craft brand trademark and lead these works to attend international exhibitions, to further increase brand visibility.