To facilitate discourse, research, and critical examination of the art of calligraphy, the Taoyuan Museum of Fine Arts (TMoFA) commenced the acceptance of submissions for the 2022 Hengshan Awards: Biennial Awards for Calligraphy Research and Criticism (the Hengshan Awards). The award ceremony was held at the Hengshan Calligraphy Art Center (HCAC) on July 1. On behalf of the panel of judges, Professor Kanno Chiaki of the Department of Art, University of Tsukuba, Japan, was invited to give a speech. The awards were presented by Director Chiu Cheng-sheng of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Taoyuan and the international judging panel. Symposiums were also held on the event day, providing in-depth analysis and discussions on the winning research papers and art criticism, delving into contemporary perspectives on calligraphy research and criticism. The winning articles have been published in the paper compilation for this year's event. Additionally, to further incentivize calligraphy research, shortlisted works were also included in the compilation.

For this year's Hengshan Awards, a judging panel consisting of 10 experts and art critics from Japan, the US, China, and Taiwan meticulously selected the winners through two rounds of judging. The panel recognized six standout articles among the submissions. One notable achievement is Mai Ching-yueh's “Revealing the Secret Improvement Process of Yu Youren's Standard Cursive Script and Distinguishing True and False on the Special Editions”, which claimed first place in the Calligraphy Research category.

Additionally, three other papers received the Merit Award: “A Study on The Research and Application of Calligraphers' on Ancient ‘Folk Calligraphy’ in the Late Qing and Early Republic Eras - Shen Zengzhi as Example” by Chiang Ya-hui, “Research on the Origin and Development of Cursive Configuration in Sun Guoh-Tyng's Shu Pu” by Chang Li-lien, and “A Preliminary Study on Using the Optical 3D Scanning Technology to Simulate Traditional Stone Tablet Inscriptions Rubbings and to Restore the Damaged Characters: Taking the Fu Kang An Ji Gong Monument in Chiayi City as an Example” by Chung Yueh-lung.

In the Calligraphy Criticism category, two articles were awarded the Merit Award “The Continuing Intention - From the Debate between Tradition and Modernity to the Creation of Cursive Script” by Lee Tsui-ying and “The Crisscrossing of Contemporary Calligraphy - a Review of Developments and Possibilities” by Fung Yee-lick Eric. The submissions covered a wide range of topics, spanning from ancient to contemporary calligraphy, thereby showcasing remarkable diversity in perspectives and the profoundness of contemporary calligraphy research and criticism.

Chiu Cheng-sheng, Director of Taoyuan's Department of Cultural Affairs emphasized that TMoFA operates on the foundation of combining localization and internationalization. The Hengshan Awards serve to both cultivate local culture and expand international connections, with the goal of becoming an iconic calligraphy award in East Asia. The Hengshan Awards have become a significant annual event for TMoFA and the calligraphy community. The Department of Cultural Affairs remains committed to promoting diverse activities that foster local and international connections.

TMoFA founded the Hengshan Awards in 2020, and the two editions of the awards have generated remarkable research papers. The establishment of these awards and the publication of paper compilations are anticipated to ignite greater interest in historical research and art criticism of calligraphy, leading to further breakthroughs in calligraphy research and criticism in Taiwan and even on an international level.

Buy the Selected Essays of the 2022 Hengshan Awards

The Hengshan Calligraphy Award is the first award in Taiwan that competes through the form of calligraphy art exhibitions. It aims to encourage calligraphy art exhibitions and calligraphy creative practices that embody the spirit of the times, possess an exploratory perspective, address contemporary issues, and explore various forms and contents.

The 2021 Hengshan Calligraphy Award had a total of 44 exhibitions competing for the awards, and 7 cases were selected for the shortlist. After enthusiastic discussions by the judging panel, a champion and two merit awards were ultimately selected. The champion of the 2021 Hengshan Calligraphy Award is "Time's Shifting Without Era Disease: Post-Calligraphy by Ko Liang-chih," receiving a prize of 250,000 New Taiwan dollars. The merit awards go to "Number Concept: Chiang Po-hsuan Calligraphy Art Creation" and "'En Route to the Classics' – A Calligraphy Exhibition: Tradition and Innovation," each receiving a prize of 100,000 New Taiwan dollars. The champion will also be invited to hold an exhibition at the Hengshan Calligraphy Art Center (HCAC).

Liu Chun-lan, Director of the Taoyuan Museum of Fine Arts (TMoFA), indicates that the HCAC aims to establish a foundation for calligraphy research and education, shape local artistic and cultural characteristics, and promote international calligraphy exchanges. In 2020, the TMoFA established "The Hengshan Awards," which include awards for research, criticism, and exhibition. In 2020, the "Hengshan Awards for Calligraphy Research and Criticism" was first held to promote the development of calligraphy research and criticism. In 2021, "The Hengshan Calligraphy Award" was launched to promote the development of contemporary calligraphy art in Taiwan and respond to contemporary trends. It aims to explore innovative and experimental dimensions of calligraphy art while showcasing the diverse development context and multiple expressions within contemporary calligraphy art.

The jury recognizes "Time's Shifting Without Era Disease" for its innovative approach to the calligraphy exhibition. The exhibition incorporates new technology and introduces elements of modern daily life into classical calligraphy, proposing new methods for reconstructing calligraphy art. This ambition aligns closely with the goals of the award.

Furthermore, the Merit Award is given to "Number Concept: Chiang Po-hsuan Calligraphy Art Creation" and "'En Route to the Classics' – A Calligraphy Exhibition: Tradition and Innovation." Both exhibitions demonstrate solid training in classical calligraphy, reflect on modern issues, and embrace collective creation.

The goal of the Hengshan Calligraphy Award is to inspire creators and curators in the field of calligraphy art to explore the various possibilities of calligraphy art in contemporary times with a more diverse and open vision. The 2021 Hengshan Calligraphy Award hopes to serve as a starting point for contemporary calligraphy curation, and through the participation of more creators and exhibition curators in the future, collectively promote the development and continuation of calligraphy art.

Invitation exhibition of the champion

Catalogue of the invitation exhibition of the champion

Buy the Selected Essays of the 2020 Hengshan Awards

The TMoFA establishes the Hengshan Awards for Calligraphy Research and Criticism to facilitate calligraphy discussion and development. It aims to discover and cultivate talented calligraphy researchers and critiques to conduct research and criticism on contemporary calligraphy, focusing on its locality and internationality, tradition and innovation, and theory and practice.