NPM unveils winners of creative design competition

2015/11/27

The winners of a creative design competition were unveiled Nov. 24 by Taipei City-based National Palace Museum, which is currently celebrating its 90th anniversary and the upcoming trial operations of the institution’s southern branch Dec. 28 in Chiayi County.

Themed around the new NPMSB structure and pieces planned for the 10 opening exhibits, the competition was comprised of three categories, namely Daily Items, Figures and Illustrations. The winners have been awarded a cash prize of NT$80,000 (US$2,450), NT$50,000 and NT$20,000, respectively.

The top prize in the Daily Items category went to Liao Ting-wan, who designed a set of sauce dishes and chopstick holders inspired by a porcelain vase with dragon patterns hailing from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) in the museum’s collection.

While the dinnerware’s concave shape contrasts with the outward curves of the original vase, the set is for practical use when dining on dumplings and dim sum.

The Figure prize was earned by Li Chih-wei, whose leaf and flower decorations resemble that of a two-handled jade urn made in the Mogul Empire (1526-1857), which spanned from what is today southern India through central Afghanistan.

With its urn-shaped head, the human-like figure includes representations of branches from three different species of plants, symbolizing the respective cultures of Greater China, India and Persia. The combination of plants in the single piece embodies the position of the museum’s southern branch as a regional hub of Asian art and culture.

The Illustrations award was won by Chi Ya-chu, who drew a Mogul urn, a 15th-century Vietnamese ewer in blue underglaze, as well as an 18th-century Japanese Imari plate with iron-red enamel in her winning work.

To further strengthen the idea of a convergence of cultures in Asia, images of a Formosan black bear and Formosan sika deer were also included in the illustration.

“The winning pieces are certain to help promote and foster appreciation of the museum’s historical items, further attracting more visitors to the upcoming opening of the southern branch,” NPM Director Fung Ming-chu said.

With construction having begun on the project in 2001, the NPM Southern Branch in Chiayi’s Taibao City features a 17-meter-high main hall, an artificial lake and a landscaped park.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=239410&ctNode=2194&mp=9)