Centered on tea ware from the Institute’s collection, this exhibition explores the relationship between Taiwanese craft and everyday life through three interconnected dimensions: “Touch,” “Use,” and “Time.” The exhibition features works in stone carving, metalwork, bamboo weaving, bamboo carving, woodcraft, lacquerware, ceramics, and mixed media. Together, these works demonstrate how craftspeople from different generations have developed diverse interpretations of material qualities, craftsmanship, and the aesthetics of tea ware.

“Touch” originates from the embodied experience accumulated through years of working closely with materials. Clay is shaped by the pushing and pulling of the fingers; metal bears the rhythm of repeated hammering; bamboo strips are transformed into flexible structures through splitting, slicing, and weaving; wood reveals its grain and layers through carving; and natural lacquer develops its warm, lustrous surface through repeated applications and periods of waiting. The subtle variations created through the continual interaction between hand and material allow each object to embody a distinctive texture, character, and sense of vitality.

When tea ware enters the tea setting, “Use” unfolds through the relationship among objects, the body, gestures, and living space. The form, color, tactile quality, and weight of each vessel interact with tea, plants, light, shadow, and the surrounding space through such actions as pouring water, holding the vessel, waiting for the tea, and drinking. In this way, the everyday act of drinking tea becomes a practice that encompasses both sensory experience and spiritual meaning.

“Time” runs throughout both the making and use of craft. It accumulates in the gradual refinement of techniques and remains embedded in the traces formed through years of use and contemplation. These marks of time allow each object to transcend its functional role as a vessel and become a record of human experience, craftsmanship, and everyday life.

The Many Textures of Touch: Tea Ware as Poetry
A Special Exhibition of Selected Tea Ware from the Collection

Exhibition Period: September 23, 2026 – January 17, 2027
Venue: First Floor, Craft Information Hall, National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute
Address: No. 573, Zhongzheng Rd., Caotun Township, Nantou County