An exhibition of prints celebrating the upcoming Year of the Dog in the Chinese zodiac kicked off Jan. 13 at National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in Taichung City.
Comprising 76 pieces drawn from 238 submissions in a competition staged by NTMFA in central Taiwan, the 33rd New Year Prints Exhibition showcases the exceptional skills and vibrant creativity of the artists. It is also a highly anticipated part of the Ministry of Culture-supported facility’s schedule of activities in the run-up to the Lunar New Year.
Chang Hui-chun, director-general of the MOC’s Department of Arts Development, said the annual exhibition plays a key role in keeping the beauty of traditional printmaking in the public eye, raising awareness of the need to preserve folk arts for future generations and creating a steady stream of print sales revenue for the museum.
According to NTMFA, of the selected works, six bagged grand prizes, 10 awards of excellence, 20 jury selections and 40 commendations. The six grand prize winners, which employ a variety of techniques and styles, include Chen Hsuan-an’s pet dogs welcoming the return of family members; Hsu Yi-hsuan’s imaginary planet populated by hounds; and Su Chih-wei’s depiction of pooches and members of the Taiwan indigenous Tao tribe from Orchid Island in southeastern Taiwan’s Taitung County carrying a traditional boat.
In addition to the recognized works, the exhibition features two prints by highly respected artists Hsueh Pao-shia, a professor in the Doctoral Program in Art Creation and Theory at Tainan National University of the Arts in southern Taiwan and Wang Chen-tai, head of New Taipei City-based Taiwan Society of Printmaking.
Hsueh’s “Move on” conveys the actions of dogs and their fondness for humans via an eclectic combination of free-flowing colors, while Wang’s “Wonderful Taiwan” is dominated by iconic images such as Papilio maraho—the national butterfly and an endangered species—and Yushan—the highest peak in Taiwan and Northeast Asia at 3,952 meters.
Launched in 1985 by the MOC, the exhibition and competition have been staged by NTMFA since 2006. This year’s edition runs until March 18 and is expected to attract large numbers of visitors from home and abroad. (CPY-E)
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