Origin

As Taiwan's first-generation artist in Western-style painting, Master Shui-Long Yen, embarked on a train trip around Taiwan for more than five months to conduct field research in craft industry in 1937. This journey prompted Master Yen’s drift away from art creation to the field of crafts.

National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute was formerly known as Nantou County Craft Research Training Program founded by Shui-Long Yen in July 1954. It has since influenced many prominent first-generation craft artists in Taiwan and shaped the course of Taiwan's crafts history and industry.  

Exhibition Theme

Using the image of "big tree" to symbolize the evolution and development of craft ecology, National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute is the origin of Taiwan's craft development. Through the “wind” the seeds of crafts have been spread all over the country, and taken root after 70 years. Today the craft has taken various forms and evolved into many diverse styles throughout the island. 

By launching the “Craft Pilgrimage,” we begin a cross-regional “tour” in six areas. The character of “tour” in Mandarin includes “walk” on the left-hand side, and “river” in the middle, which refers to as the boundary of respective regions and perfectly echoes that the “Craft Pilgrimage” is nurtured by mountains and rivers, natural environment and ecological areas. It shows that the unique appearance formed by local crafts and creative artworks bring us the value and inspiration of beautiful life, creating a productive cycle of "living crafts and crafts in living.”

First stop of Craft Pilgrimage: [Where the wind began to blow - Nantou]

Nantou, mostly mountainous county covered by forests, is home to abundant natural resources and rich ecology. Bamboo, soil, lacquer, and fiber are all gifts from Mother Nature. Thanks to Master Yen’s hard work and vision in establishing the foundation as starting point in Nantou County for the development of Taiwanese crafts, where many craft artists have been cultivated and the craft industry continues to flourish. The craft artists get inspiration from nature and use local materials to create beautiful crafts, nourishing our daily life and enriching our spirit. Each artwork wonderfully represents contemporary craftsmanship with their special roles to play.

Exhibition Information

Exhibition Dates: 2024.06.05 - 2024.08.04

Exhibition Hours: 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Exhibition Venue: National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute — Craft Exhibition Hall, 1st & 2ed Floors