Cut-and-paste ceramic artist Chen San-huo (???) received the National Crafts Achievement Award on Saturday in recognition of his work in the field over the past six decades and his preservation of this nearly extinct technique.
Chen, 71, who received the honor on Saturday at the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute in Nantou County, said in Taiwanese Hoklo that he wanted more people to understand this art form, adding that this honor reminded him of the mission to pass it down.
Cut-and-paste ceramic art uses tools and instruments to cut chipped ceramics from broken bowls or vases and piece them together to create temple ornaments in the shapes of birds and beasts, noble lords, and majestic generals.
This type of art, which can be dated to 400 years ago, was introduced to Taiwan from China 150 years ago during the Qing Dynasty and can be seen in almost every temple across the country.
Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te (???) said during the award ceremony that Chen, who created artworks with fragments and amazing technique, was not only "the artist on the rooftop," which Chen has long been dubbed, but also an environmentalist artist.
Most important of all, Lee said, Chen was an artist philosopher who has brought every fragmented piece he has worked on to life.
Born in 1949 in Tainan, Chen is a fourth-generation artist of the Taiwan Quan school of cut-and-paste ceramics who learned the art from his brother at the age of 17.
As he noticed a gradual decline in the demand for the delicate techniques of cut-and-paste ceramics, Chen developed his own unique version by chipping at ceramics along existing curves and texture to create vibrant forms and then took his craft into the art world.
With a career spanning six decades, Chen has decorated hundreds of temples, including Ciji Temple in Fengyuan, Zhenlan Temple in Dajia, Chaotian Temple in Beigang, and Fengtian Temple in Xingang. He has even been invited to decorate a temple in Hong Kong and a hotel in Japan, according to the Ministry of Culture (MOC).
Chen has been recognized by the MOC as a preserver of this cultural heritage and is considered a national treasure as a craftsman.
He has also been honored with a wide array of awards and recognition, including the Taiwan Distinguished Master Award in 2013, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Tainan City Government in 2015, the Global Chinese Culture Award in 2016, and being named a National Living Treasure in 2020, according to MOC.
The National Crafts Achievement Award, the country's highest crafts prize, is Chen's latest honor. He was selected from a list of 21 veteran artisans to receive the award this year, its 15th edition.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel