In 1985, the Ministry of Culture launched the first ever call for entries for the juried exhibition of New Year prints in an attempt to promote the traditional art of New Year prints using a wide range of printmaking methods. With great honor and pride, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts took over the organization of this annual exhibition in 2006, and is now presenting the 30th New Year Prints Exhibition of R.O.C. entitled in celebration of 2015, which is also the Year of the Goat in the Chinese Zodiac. It is particularly worth noting here that according to the Book of Han （漢書）, a history of China from 206 BC to 220 AD, in ancient times, the Chinese character that signified the goat also signified blessings and auspices. In this year’s exhibition of New Year prints, entitled Bountiful Blessings and Joy for the Year of the Goat, Chinese characters that have the same sound, such as the one that signifies rise and one that signifies the ocean, or images of the goat or the sheep are often borrowed to express joy and happiness of the Lunar New Year.

The origin of the New Year prints can be traced as early as the drawings of the Door Gods of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). In ancient times, drawings of the two Gods of Doors, i.e. Shen Tu and Yu Lei, were traditionally posted on the front doors on the first day of the Lunar New Year for the purpose driving out evil spirits. It therefore became customary that the New Year prints have tended to draw inspiration from the lives of ordinary folks. Thanks to the continual development of techniques and mediums for making New Year prints, we can now enjoy a rich variety of themes and techniques which can be seen reflected in the 30th Annual Exhibition of New Year Prints. Although most artists still employ traditional themes, there are many who experiment on various styles such as cartoons and contemporary abstractionism, or draw inspiration from Western mythology or the native cultures of Taiwan. While the themes are diverse, the images are approachable to everyone regardless of age or level or artistic literacy.

This year, we received a total of 236 entries which cover over a dozen different printmaking techniques and mediums. After careful considerations, the panel of judges selected a total of 77 pieces to be shown in this exhibition, including 6 Grand Prize winners, 10 Award for Excellence winners, 20 Selected Award winners and 41 pieces Recommended for commendation. It appears that the overall age of the artists who have entered this year’s contest is younger than ever. Most of these young artists have tended to express their wishes for the new year using combination of images of the goat or sheep or Chinese characters which have the same sound as the one that signifies the goat. In addition, the exhibition features also two commissioned pieces by two judges, Mr. Shen Chin-Yuan and Ms. Lu Yen-Ching, to facilitate dialogues between traditional and contemporary aesthetics.

Bountiful Blessings and Joy for the Year of the Goat: the 30th Annual Exhibition of New Year Prints, ROC showcases a total of 79 pieces by artists spanning a wide range of ages. We are honored to present this exhibition, which is a wonderful demonstration of the combination of depth and diversity, tradition and modernity, youthful vitality and mature wisdom, as a good will gesture for the Year of the Goat.

About the exhibition

Duration: 01.01-03.22

Venue: National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts

Courtesy of the artists and National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, for further information please visit www.ntmofa.gov.tw.