Art enthusiasts in Thailand will have a chance to make it big in Taiwan as they are invited to enter the "E.SUN Awards", held by Taiwan's E.SUN Bank which is accepting submissions from its students and general members of the public, as well as foreigners living in or outside of Taiwan, until Aug 31.
Held to mark the bank's 30th anniversary and to showcase its love for Taiwan, this is the first time that the international category was included in the quinquennial competition, offering a total prize money of US$130,000 (5.84 million baht) for this category alone.
Contestants are required to depict the natural, cultural and artistic beauty of Mount Jade or Yushan, the country's tallest mountain which has become a spiritual symbol of Taiwan, through brushstrokes.
The themes are ecological landscapes and historical and cultural characteristics of Yushan National Park. Oil, acrylic, and eastern gouache paintings will be accepted and they shouldn't be larger than 91cm by 72.5cm in size.
One contestant can submit only one entry. However, their artwork must be original, have never been entered in any competitions or have never been publicly published or exhibited.
Sitting in the jury for the preliminary selection and final judging will be renowned academics and professionals in the field of art.
In the international category, the first prize winner will be awarded $36,000, one to three special prize winners will receive $18,000 each, and one to five merit award winners will get $7,200 each. They will also receive a certificate and a special publication featuring the award-winning works.
The winning works in each category will be displayed in a travelling exhibition around Taiwan from November to December this year and the organiser will cover the shipping costs of the works to Taiwan.
Submissions should be made by Aug 31 at 23.59 Taipei time. The finalists will be announced on Oct 31.
