The winners of the 2024 National Craft Achievement Award were announced today (14th), with natural dyeing craftsman Chen Jinglin receiving the honor! Taichung City Cultural Bureau Director Chen Jiajun expressed congratulations on behalf of Taichung Mayor Lu Xiuyan and thanked him for his years of assistance in promoting the development of fiber crafts in Taichung City. Coincidentally, the Fiber Craft Museum is currently hosting the exhibition "The Faces of Formosa – A Classic Exhibition of Taiwan's Hundred Colors," curated by Master Chen Jinglin, showcasing the results of his years of research on 100 types of Taiwan's natural dye gene pool, along with works from craftsmen across the country. The public is welcome to take this opportunity to appreciate the exhibition.

"Master Chen Jinglin has a deep connection with the development of fiber crafts in Taichung City and has made significant contributions," Director Chen mentioned. As early as the time of the Fiber Craft Museum's predecessor, the "Taichung City Weaving Craft Museum," Master Chen actively participated in field research and artifact collection related to weaving crafts, laying an important foundation for the official establishment of the Fiber Craft Museum. In 2022, the museum published "The Splendor of the Earth: A Compendium of Taiwan's Natural Dyes," co-authored by Chen Jinglin and his wife Ma Yuxiu, which systematically introduces the color applications of over ninety local dyes in Taiwan. In 2023, it received the Excellence Award in the promotional literature category from the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, becoming a valuable reference in the field of natural dye application in Taiwan.

Director Chen stated that in the past two years, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Fiber Museum has continued to commission teachers Chen Jinglin and Ma Yuxiu to carry out the "Natural Classic Color Research Project." This project aims to identify 100 consensus colors from natural dye materials that are rooted in the cultural context of Taiwanese life, and to establish a system of color categories, color names, dyeing formulas, and color combinations, thereby completing the Taiwanese natural dyeing system with remarkable results. The "National Craft Achievement Award" is the highest honor in the field of crafts in Taiwan. Teacher Chen Jinglin has accumulated rich knowledge of dyes and traditional dyeing techniques over the years, dedicating himself to innovation and selfless transmission of knowledge, making the award well-deserved.

The Fiber Museum explains that the "Natural Classic Hundred Colors Research Project" combines natural dyeing techniques with lifestyle and fashion creations. Starting from October 6, the museum will launch the exhibition "The Beauty of Formosa – Taiwan's Classic Hundred Colors." The exhibition features 100 classic colors from Taiwan paired with works from domestic artisans and designers. In the museum's lobby, there will be color combinations inspired by and interpreted through the 24 solar terms, using natural dyeing to reflect Taiwan's natural imagery, cultural history, and lifestyle. The exhibition will run until November 17, and the public is welcome to visit the Fiber Museum to explore the hundred "classic colors" that belong to Formosa!

During the exhibition period, a series of themed guided tours are also planned. On November 2nd and 3rd, there will be a Taiwan-Japan-Korea International Natural Dyeing Exchange Demonstration and a Taiwan Natural Dye Flash Exhibition. For more information about related activities, please visit the Fiber Museum's official website (https://mofia.taichung.gov.tw/) or their Facebook fan page (https://www.facebook.com/mofiataichung).