Painter Chen Cheng-hsiung, architect Cheng Mei, conductor Chien Wen-pin, set designer Austin Wang and filmmaker Wang Shau-di each received a medal and prize money of NT$1 million (US$33,350). The wife of 90-year-old essayist Wang Ting-chiun attended the ceremony on behalf of her U.S.-based husband.
“We are proud of the achievements of these remarkable artists who have given so much to the nation,” President Ma Ying-jeou said during an address at the ceremony. “The government will continue supporting Taiwan’s cultural and creative industry and promoting its soft power abroad.”
Also attending were Minister of Culture Lung Ying-tai and National Culture and Arts Foundation Chairman Stan Shih.
According to Ma, Wang Ting-chiun has been writing for more than six decades, incorporating the wisdom of life in his poetic language. “Chen is equally accomplished, with his Eastern lyricism influencing countless Taiwan painters over the past 60 years,” he said.
“Architect Cheng deserves just as much credit for his signature creations such as the Taiwan High Speed Rail station in Tainan City,” Ma said, adding that set designer Austin Wang, who has over three decades of theater experience, is renowned for his sleek and agile sense of space evident in his various collaborations with the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan.
Wang Shau-di, the only female winner this year, is another whose work warrants much praise, Ma said. “A director of films and TV dramas, her style combines mass appeal with the human touch, reaching a wider audience than ordinary art house projects.”
Ma said former National Symphony Orchestra music director Chien Wen-pin is the youngest award recipient this year. “With his role as resident conductor of German Opera on the Rhine, Chien has been instrumental in facilitating international exchanges for Taiwan’s art scene and ushering in a golden age for the NSO.”
Established in 1997, the award recognizes outstanding artists for their lifetime achievements in various artistic fields, including architecture, literature, fine art, filmmaking, theater, dance and music. (DF-JSM)
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