Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taichung City Government-News-Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition Makes Its Singapore Debut with 60 Works from the Da Dun Prize Collection

The “2026 Da Dun Fine Arts Exchange Exhibition” opened at 2 p.m. on October 17 at the Hwa Chong Cultural Centre Exhibition Hall in Singapore. Deputy Director-General Chun-Fu Shih of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taichung City Government led the delegation, with Minister Wen-Ling Wu of the Taipei Representative Office in the Republic of Singapore and other distinguished guests in attendance. Three Taiwanese artists, Lien-Tung Chuang, Su-Yueh Lee, and WU Chi-Lin, were also invited to create artworks on site. The exhibition features 60 selected works from the Da Dun Prize collection, representing the exhibition's highest honor over the years. This marks the first time the Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition has been held in Singapore since its founding 31 years ago, opening a new chapter in artistic exchange between Taichung and Singapore.
Deputy Director-General Shih said the Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition, founded in 1996, is now in its 31st year. What began as an art competition in Taichung has gradually grown into a platform connecting Taiwanese artists with the international art community. By bringing works from the Da Dun Prize collection to Singapore, the organizers hope to give local audiences a chance to discover Taiwan's artistic diversity and creativity through works in different media by artists from different generations. The exhibition also introduces Taichung's artistic achievements to a wider international audience.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau explained that the Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition features 11 art categories. Each year, a jury selects the winners of the highest honor, the “Da Dun Prize”, from among the first-place winners in each category. The winning works are then added to the collection of Taichung Art Museum. The 60 works on display span a wide range of categories and media, including ink-and-color painting, calligraphy, seal engraving, glue-color painting, oil painting, watercolor, printmaking, sculpture, and crafts. They showcase each artist's distinctive style while highlighting the collection built up over the exhibition's history.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau noted that the “2026 Da Dun Fine Arts Exchange Exhibition” runs from October 17 to November 8 at the Hwa Chong Cultural Centre Exhibition Hall in Singapore. Since 2007, the Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition has organized overseas cultural exchange exhibitions to bring outstanding artworks beyond Taichung and connect with the world. This year's event marks its 17th overseas exhibition, with Singapore becoming the 12th country and 18th city on its international exhibition map, further expanding Taichung's global artistic connections.
The opening ceremony also featured live demonstrations by three participating artists. Lien-Tung Chuang has long been dedicated to Tsai-Mo art and art education. He currently serves as Dean of the College of Arts at National Taiwan Normal University and Chairman of the Federation of International Tsai-Mo Artists. Su-Yueh Lee, who won first place in the ink-and-color painting category at the 9th Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition, has devoted many years to her artistic practice. WU Chi-Lin won the Da Dun Prize in the calligraphy category at the 13th exhibition. His award-winning work, “River of Haven” by DU Fu, is also on display. Through face-to-face interactions between artists and visitors, the exhibition goes beyond bringing artworks across borders, using art as a shared language for mutual understanding and cultural exchange.
Deputy Director-General Shih also thanked the Taipei Representative Office in the Republic of Singapore for helping with early coordination and inviting members of the overseas Taiwanese community, arts and cultural circles, and the media. He also expressed appreciation to Hwa Chong Institution for providing the exhibition venue. He said the exhibition's Singapore debut marks a new milestone in the international outreach of the Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition. He hopes it will be the start of lasting exchanges between Taichung and Singapore, creating more opportunities for artist visits and collaboration in the future.