The Creative Sacred Pig Painting Competition, one of the events held during National Yimin Festival, has entered its ninth year. The competition aims to introduce the spirits and values of Yimin religion to the public through interesting and eco-friendly art creations. This year, students from Japan's Kochi Minami Senior High School were also invited to have an on-the-spot painting contest with local students from Yi Min Senior High School, Chung Hsin High School and St. Aloysius Technical School. It is hoped that the event could provide a platform for more international art exchanges.
Hsinchu County Government specially commissioned Yang Zhi-xiang, the multi-time winner of the Creative Sacred Pig Painting Competition, and talents from the four high schools from both Japan and Hsinchu County to design a gigantic sacred pig. The giant artwork will be displayed in the square of Xinpu Yimin Temple on August 26th for the celebration of Yimin Festival.
Director of Cultural Affairs Bureau Zhang Yi Zhen shows that they received roughly 600 creations in this year's Creative Sacred Pig Painting Competition. All of the prize-winning works are highly distinctive, original and stunning. Little artists from elementary schools further enriched the competition out of their wildest imagination and creativity in the use of diverse materials. These exceptional artworks broke our stereotype about the traditional sacred pig and made it extremely tough for the judges to make the final decision.
Mr. Takahashi, the Division Chief of Cultural, Life and Sports Department, Kochi Prefecture, shows favorable attitude toward comics, which he thinks would have positive influences on students' growth. He hopes that the Japanese students could share the culture and experience of Japanese comics and learn from teamwork. He also hopes that those students' talents could be discovered by professionals. For those Japanese students who created graphic designs more often in the comics club, it was a precious experience to produce a design on a 3D object.
Xu Wei-lun, who wins the Grand Prize of the painting competition on his second attempt, indicates that the idea of his work comes from antiques. He puts a Hakka blue shirt, a significant symbol of Hakka culture, on the sacred pig. The shape of the blue shirt also shows the image of Hakka Sanhe Yuan, a three-section residential compound. When the sacred pig is illuminated, it symbolizes the sustainable development of Hakka culture.
The Painted Sacred Pig Art Exhibition is grandly open until September 1st at Hsinchu County Archive. Up to 150 sacred pigs in different sizes are displayed along with the cultural asset of Qionglin Township: Hakka lions. Sacred pigs and Hakka lions are placed in harmony with one another, creating a more lively atmosphere for the exhibition.
Complete list of winners of the 2018 Creative Sacred Pig Painting Competition is revealed on the official website and Facebook fan page of Cultural Affairs Bureau. Please pay a visit to check it out.