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Wood Carving from the Heart: Chi-Tsun Chen's Wood Carving Art Exhibition
Exhibition Overview Wood carving is a three-dimensional art in which artisans select suitable wood and use carving tools with focused mindfulness and refined skills to intricately sculpt wooden materials. Unlike additive processes, wood carving embodies a “subtractive approach,” where creators continuously refine and distill the essence of their vision through careful removal, integrating their thoughts and creativity into the process. As one of Taiwan's significant traditional crafts, wood carving is evident in its applications for deity statues, altars, and various wooden objects used in temples and households. In the carefully condensed space shaped by each thoughtful chisel stroke, wood carving’s subtractive artistry not only reflects the flourishing development of wood carving craftsmanship and folk beliefs but also showcases its inseparable connection to everyday life and culture. Master Chi-Tsun Chen, who began his apprenticeship under Fuzhou-style deity carver Yi-Shui Lin in 1976, has dedicated nearly fifty years to the field of wood carving. He has inherited the essence of traditional wood carving while actively seeking to enhance his techniques and break through the boundaries of knowledge and experience. With relentless artisan spirit, he has pioneered a new perspective that blends traditional crafts with modern art, promoting wood carving through diverse interdisciplinary collaborations. In 2020 Chen was honored with the National Crafts Achievement Award. His works encompass both traditional wood carvings and modern sculpture series, continuously accumulating and passing down knowledge like the growth rings of a tree, steadily evolving with the times and extending into the future. This embodies the most vibrant and moving vitality of contemporary Taiwanese wood carving craftsmanship. This special exhibition, titled Wood Carving from the Heart, showcases 66 meticulously selected works. It is divided into four thematic sections: "The Beginning of Apprenticeship," "Accumulating Artistic Knowledge," "Observing the Contemporary," and "A Symphony of Diversity." These sections highlight how Chi-Tsun Chen transitioned from traditional wood carving to modern sculpture, overcoming challenges posed by technological advancements and evolving societal demands. The exhibition illustrates his ongoing journey of personal growth, relentless pursuit of innovation, and remarkable breakthroughs in the art of wood carving. Wood Carving from the Heart ：Chi-Tsun Chen's Wood Carving Art Exhibition Exhibition Duration: 2025.02.18 - 2025.05.11 Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays (Including national holidays) 09:30-17:30 Venue: 2F, Taipei Branch, National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute Address: NO. 41, Nanhai Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City 100052, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
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IMEDIA
Plant Essence- Weaving and Dyeing Nature
A short documentary film was made based on the concept of ""Plant Essence- Creating a Rustic and Fashionable Local Rural Craft Aesthetics."" The film Weaving and Dyeing Nature features the people, bringing out their daily craftsmanship, as well as the craft development and introduction of the community.
Participating Communities:
Taiwan Yuan-Li Handiwork Association, Nantou County Guoxing Township Shimen Community Development Association, Watersource Cultural and Educational Foundation, Hualien County Kavalan Development Association, Chiayi County Lunwei Township Tian She Zhuang Bamboo Weaving Development Association
COLLECTION
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Exuberant Dance
The glaze presentation and meanings of lines and planes on the bell-shaped bottle (Tai Bai Ware) that Lin Pao-Chia favored in his late life is reflected in the dignified, calm, static and peaceful space. Glaze with different colors is used on points, lines, and planes freely just like the life meaning of unlimited life movement is the wide cyan-blue earth and sky. Lin Pao-Chia's research performance included the essence of skills on pottery history for a thousand years in China after Tang and Sung Dynasties, especially the celadon in Sung Dynasty (Shih Shih-Yu, 2009). However, Lin Pao-Chia did not end in imitation but found out the possibility of innovation in tradition. Therefore, he further developed “glaze painting” skill after the series of celadon. Hsueh Jui-Fang said, “During the period of time that was closer to the late of his (Lin Pao-Chia) life, he liked to use various colors on the same work for presentation and those colors are all glaze materials. The control skill on the glaze materials is very important to make sure the glaze materials won't interfere each other. It requires someone who understands chemistry, temperature, and circumstance very well; the key is that you are able to control them. Therefore, the works in his late period were involved with different colors and the colored glaze materials, like iron, copper, cobalt, chromium, and titaniumwere adopted for different kinds of presentation before he used his talent and skills, like Chinese calligraphy and oil painting, for further interpretation.