Page 174 - 臺中市第二十七屆大墩美展專輯

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Printmaking

Category
Juror's Statement NI Chao-Long

This year’s Printmaking Category received 41 submissions, including two entries from India and Belgium. The jury was made up of LIN Hsueh-
Ching, LIN Chang-De, LO Pin-Ho, HUANG Yue-Sheng, and NI Chao-Long. Before the review, the jurors went through several rounds of
discussion and then voted carefully, selecting 8 entries in the preliminary review, and determining winners of the top three prizes, two winners of
Award of Merit, and 3 Shortlisted Works in the final review.
This year’s First Prize winner, Classroom Demonstration #4, is a multiple print. The artist is LU Chih-Yi, who have swept various major domestic
printmaking awards in recent years. To understand the hardship of pregnancy, the artist put on fake pregnancy bump and breasts, and walked
around carrying the extra burden for days, learning the feeling of motherhood sans fetal movement, and realizing how to care for patients’ bodies
through nursing. Inspired by “love,” the artist layered and wove light and think paints to create rich layers of colors, and achieved void-solid balance,
creating a scenario of virtual fantasy to accentuate the subject. This is an outstanding work.
Second Prize went to Lingering Temperature, a work by artist LIN Kuan-Pin, who lives abroad in Spain. Based on a fresh and lingering emotion,
he created the mimeograph woodcut to depict a desolate manor in memory that had broken walls, but also light breezes. Through the repeated
utilization of cutting and carving, the author creates a work that resembles brainwaves that go through optical physical process, echoing the lasting
memory of personal relationship. The dense vertical lines on the right correspond to the emptiness on the left, forming a balance between dynamic
and static elements; the plants and leaves are blown away by the wind, just like the passage of time; the carvings indicate the time that has passed,
and the print exhibits sophistication and warmth, such a captivating work!
Solitude by CHENG Yu-Han won Third Prize, which is a creative work of reason. The artist expresses the solitude that accompanied him
growing up, and reexamines his own emotions and moods. Using new synthesize plate, cardboard, relief and intaglio, he captures the familiar
sceneries in life and the void within is converted into the empty seat, creating a mysterious inner world. The work presents a powerful contrast
between cool and warm color tones, but remains harmonious; the bevel gauge-like shape outlines a space resembling the goal post, making the picture
bolder and more modern.
Award of Merit winning Existence – W#11 by KIM Hyun-Jin uses relief/reduction woodcuts. To the artist, creative works are like pages of life
records; through reflection, he experiences his own connections with flowers, plants, and trees in nature, as well as with other life forms. Every
existence is precious and wonderful. From lines, colors, to layout, this print expresses brightness, warmth, and relief, enabling people to realize the
preciousness of “companion with love.”
Also a winner of Award of Merit, XU Zi-Jie’s We All Have Our Family Issues refers the wrathful deities in Tibetan Buddhism to the chaotic
environment in life. Through imagination, he personifies many deities, and turns his mother into the most powerful wrathful deity in Buddhism and
daily objects into the treasures and vessels in Buddhist paintings, protecting the family; dirty laundry and bills are like defeated demons at the feet of
Mother. He also depicts his sister’s anxiety under the pressure of school, whereas his father, who raises his mother from under the sweeping robot, is
the one that carries the burden of the family. Interesting characters are woven into the intricate and sophisticated picture, offering a powerful space
of imagination, while also successfully projecting the helplessness in today’s society and family! Moreover, the black-and-white print using new
synthesize plate is quite unique.
Although this year’s exhibition received fewer submissions, we got to see more diverse types of prints, as well as more thought-provoking works.
All the Shortlisted Works are quality works of printmaking, which is quite a feat.