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Exhibition

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.)

  • Exhibition

    “Bamboo Traces +”Exhibition: Discovering bamboo craft art’s past, present and the future

    There is a huge event happening in Taiwan in 2024, Expo of bamboo, also known as forum of bamboo. National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute (hereinafter referred to as NTCRI) is the main venue of Nantou County. NTCRI has been founded for 70 years and this is very meaningful. Therefore, NTCRI curated the “Bamboo Traces +” Exhibition to demonstrate NTCRI 's key contribution to the development of bamboo crafts in Taiwan. The history of NTCRI can be traced back to 1954. There was the iconic organization’ Craft Arts Institute of Nantou County’ founded by Shui-Long Yen. Shui-Long Yen is an important promoter of Taiwan's bamboo craft industry. He has passed down the essence of craftsmanship to this day and has had an inevitable impact on bamboo craft culture. “Bamboo Traces +”Exhibition is divided into three major exhibition areas, each of which highlights the unique features of bamboo craftsmanship: First Exhibition Area: Dialogues between crafts – Light of bamboo arts This part of the exhibition brings together the ingenuity of Taiwanese bamboo art masters and shows the history and culture of Taiwanese bamboo art. Meanwhile, it also explores the dialogue between contemporary and future bamboo art inheritance, leading the audience to the stories and values behind bamboo art. Second Exhibition Area: International Collaboration – Contemporary Resonance This exhibition area highlights the results of NTCRI’s collaborations with national and international designers. NTCRI has cooperated with diverse designs and materials long-term, integrating bamboo craftsmanship into contemporary elements, breaking traditional limitations, and creating works that combine Eastern tradition and Western modernity. Third Exhibition Area: Cross-domain science and technology - future dimension This area shows the perspective of science, technology and experimentation, and also re-explores the potential of bamboo. Through scientific and technological means, the audience will see the diversity and potential of bamboo, at the same time looking forward to the future development direction of bamboo products. “Bamboo Traces +”Exhibition will lead audiences to understand the history of bamboo culture deeply, also discovering its contemporary innovation and the potential for future development. This is not only a tribute to Taiwanese craftsmanship, but also a continuation and exploration of bamboo culture, demonstrating NTCRI’s achievements and contributions over the past seventy years. Exhibition Information Exhibition Dates: 2024.4.16 - 2024.12.20 Exhibition Hours: 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM Exhibition Venue: National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute — Craft Design Gallery, 1st, 2ed and B1 Floors

IMEDIA

Needle and Thread's Promise Through the Generations - Xiang-Hua Shi & Art on the Fingertips Nurtured by the Old Town - Chen-Chun Xu

Go deep into the scene to directly understand the craft creation journey of needle embroidery workers Xiang-Hua Shi and Chen-Chun Xu in Lugang, Changhua.


COLLECTION

More
Makino Bamboo, Ma Bamboo, lacquer

The Tree

The work illustrates the presentation between the main trunk and branches of the big tree in details. The author adopts cross-area craft skills to present the pale, old and mottled bark of a tree in irregular inserting skill. In a whole, it demonstrates numerous but orderly weaving capabilities with skillful and fully-developed technique. The regular round images on the lower part of the trunk are the symbol for burls. The design of round outside and square inside makes us link trees with flowers or fruits. The circle outer edge is decorated with herring bone band while the square inside the circle is presented in three-dimension. It creates interesting contrast with the mixed and messy inserted bark. The work completely integrates the whole design in bamboo weaving skills, carpentry, and lacquer art and it fully presents the spirits of “modernized the tradition and bring the work into life” that the craftsman always carries out. The sublime creation model is admiring.

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Taiwan Craft Cultural Park

Add:No. 573, Zhongzheng Rd., Caotun Township,  
Nantou County 542020, Taiwan (R.O.C)
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AddNo. 41, Nahai Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., 
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TEL+886-37-222-693

FAX+886-37-232-942

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Address:No. 573, Zhongzheng Rd., Caotun Township, Nantou County 542020, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

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