Nantou County-headquartered National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute hosted the 2025 International Craft Forum July 8-9 in Taipei City, where academics, artisans and experts jointly explored links between craft, culture and daily life.
Speaking at the forum, NTCRI Director Chen Tien-li noted that due to rapid changes in contemporary society, details get overlooked. Thus, this year the institute advocates the concept of slow living, in which craft can serve as a way to rebuild human connections with a gentler pace of life.
The Ministry of Culture stated that 11 academics and specialists from Denmark, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand were invited to participate in the forum. These included Heinrich Wang from Taiwan, founder of Taipei City-based New Chi Porcelain, Arisumi Mitamura, former Tokyo University of the Arts professor and Alvin Tjitrowirjo, CEO and product designer for Jakarta-based furniture brand alvinT.
The event centered on three themes, “Looking to the Future,” which examined how craft preserves local tradition amid globalization and digitalization. “Innovative Development” looked at craft as a potential economic power with focus on materials, design and interdisciplinary collaboration. Finally, “Connecting with the People” considered how craft is integrated into daily life to forge a cultural identity. The July 9 seminar saw a continuation of the themes via group discussions, case studies and workshops. (POC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw