The2018 Smithsonian Craft Show is partnering with the Smithsonian’s Asian Cultural History Program (National Museum of Natural History) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), to create an immersive experience that will illuminate the underlying theme of this year’s Smithsonian Craft Show: Asian Influence/American Design.
This special four-day event will feature lectures, Taiwanese craft demonstrations, and a special exhibition of craft art, thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Invited by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee, the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute (NTCRI) will curate an exhibition showcasing Taiwan’s unique craftsmanship at the 2018 Smithsonian Craft Show. The exhibition will be held from April 26 to April 29, 2018 at the Auditorium of the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
This exhibition will focus on over 30 carefully selected sets of work to highlight Taiwanese craft, including dining utensils, tea sets, stationery in the study, small-and medium-sized furniture, and accessories, under the brand name of “Yii”. Such brand name has resulted from an NTCRI initiative -- “Interdisciplinary Creative Applications in New Aspects of Craft”, which seeks to research and develop craft products through interdisciplinary collaboration, with an emphasis on creating higher added-value for Taiwan’s craft products, as well as more visibility for. The works designed and developed through this initiative are Taiwan’s craft innovations at the world stage. One of the representative works from the “Yii” series on display at the exhibition, the “Bambool” barstool, was one of 23 objects voted by news media to receive the “Coup de Coeur” prize at the Maison & Objet Paris exhibition in France. This barstool is constructed using three bamboo tubes which have been split at the top, where bamboo strips have been woven into a seat. Its meticulous craftsmanship and elegant bearing have won many international accolades.
In addition to the static display, 12 activity events including pottery, bamboo weaving and a tea ceremony have been planned as a part of the Matière of Life: Taiwan Crafts Exhibition showcase.
On April 27, a special lecture forum, free and open to the public, will be held from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon, on The Smithsonian’s Historic Collections from Taiwan and Taiwan’s Dynamic Crafts Today, with presentations by Smithsonian anthropologists Paul M. Taylor, Jared M. Koller, and Robert Pontsioen. This forum will also serve to introduce the craft artisans and artworks displayed in this special series of events, Matière of Life: Taiwan Crafts Exhibition.
SMISTHSONIAN CRAFT SHOW 2018
“Matière of Life : Taiwan Crafts Exhibition” Information
- Date: April 26-29, 2018
- Hours:
- Thursday, April 26, 10:30 AM to 8:00 PM
- Friday, April 27, 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM
- Saturday, April 28, 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM
- Sunday, April 29, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
- Venue: The Auditorium at the National Building Museum(401 F St., NW Washington, D.C. 20001)
- Related Website: www.smithsoniancraftshow.org
