Page 160 - 臺中市第二十八屆大墩美展專輯

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Juror's Statement

HUANG Ming-Chu

類 水 彩
Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition has been organized for decades. Not only has it established a comprehensive evaluation system, but its high prize moneys
have also effectively encouraged active participation of artists, elevating the artistic levels of the exhibition. In recent years, active participation of
domestic and overseas artists has made watercolor painting expressions more robust and livelier. Participating artists have already had high achievements
in terms of style and technique in watercolor painting, and their works also present in-depth expressions of subject matters. The jury this year consisted of
Professor YANG En-Sheng, Professor LIN Jen-Chieh, Professor LIN Wei-Min, Professor WONG Liang-Yuan, and myself. All the jurors are established
watercolorists, and in just and fair manner, we selected 25 works from the 180 entries (including overseas ones from Mainland China, Hong Kong,
Mongolia, Vietnam, Latvia, and the Philippines) to the final evaluation, ultimately selecting 23 award-winning works, including the top three prize
winners, four Award of Merit winners, and 16 selected works.
First Prize winner "Beauty Pageant" by WANG Xiao-Xuan depicts the vibrancy of ghost plant. The artist uses low-chromatic and bright color tones
and rendering technique to capture ghost plant's rich and diverse shades and variations through repeated application, expressing the radiance of ghost
plant under bright sunlight. Through skillful brushstrokes, the artist captures the clear ghost plants, and blurs the boundary of the flowers to create a
lasting feeling of undecidedness. The work exhibits harmonious colors and natural and fluid spatial expression. Ghost plant is regarded as an intelligent
plant, and its flower never withers, symbolizing the toughness of life, eternity, and undying love.
Second Prize winner "Vision" by CHUNG Tsai-Chieh presents childhood expectations and longings. The artist uses objects like bubbles, carousal, Water Color Painting
and dolls, to symbolize an individual's childhood memory, which are placed in juxtaposition with the self in the present spacetime, successfully depicting
the intricate and subtle inner relationships between individuals. The work features precise coloring, mature techniques, and variations of tone, exhibiting a
sense of consistency. The objects in the background strengthen emotional transition, making the scene more fluid and smoother. The artist layers thoughts
through rich images, presents a drifting state, expresses own inner writing, and constructs a world of childhood dreams, giving the painting profound
implications.
Third Prize went to "See Me Tomorrow" by HSU Wen-Chang. The realist painting is more than just a superficial technical depiction, it also embodies
the artist's inner reflections and realizations. Through utilization of light and colors, and expression of ambience, the artist depicts the situation of an
elderly person seeking refuge in alcohol and running away from reality after suffering failure and frustration. The work features primarily ocherous tone
with powerful variations of light and shadow, creating rich variations of texture. The artist must have put much thought into the text and image outside
the window, and uses overlapping images to capture past memories. The traces of flowing water on the painting create the effect of overlapping shadows,
which presents a state of drifting and uncertainty, quite successfully expressing the character's despair and alienation.
The four Award of Merit winners are "Remorse" by SHIU Chen-Wei, "The State of Memories II" by LI Jia-Mei, "Code of Cellos" by CHANG Chi-
Fang, and "Spring in the Little Pond" by CHANG Chin-Lin, which use the fluidity of water and colors for various expressions to capture the flow of
time and present the state of mind; they convey how things change over time and the unsettled and self-dissolution state of real life, presenting profound
symbolic languages. The artists can trigger people's concern for and reflection on inner humanity, appropriately guiding viewers' realization on life and
accumulation of life experience, demonstrating high levels of creativity.
Art expresses life experience of an individual or a group of people, and shines light on mankind's collective fate or conveys our shared emotions.
Overall, the contents and formats of this year's entries cover real life and nostalgic themes, and they display diverse contents and vibrant expressive
techniques; regardless of realistic depiction of the external world or expression of personal emotions, the entries have made significant strides forward.
Thanks to the Cultural Affairs Bureau for maximizing the effect of the exhibition, setting an excellent example for other domestic cultural agencies.