Exhibition Period｜2021/12/07～12/23

The Franz Rising Star Project—the world's largest international ceramic scholarship—celebrated its Grand Achievement Press Conference and the opening ceremony of the Franz Rising Star Gallery at the National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech) Arts and Culture Center. Distinguished guests including Taipei Tech Vice President Yang Chung-kuang, former Executive Yuan Minister Huang Kuang-nan, Executive Director of the German Trade Office Taipei Mr. Axel Limberg, Yuanta Peak Control Consultants Chairman Hsu Hsiao-po, and Franz Porcelain CEO Franz Chen gathered to lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the world’s only "Franz Rising Star Gallery Pop-Up Exhibition." The exhibition spotlights the premier masterpiece Wei-Xin (The Mindset), which took home the top prize for the inaugural "Franz Rising Star Future Award," alongside a curated selection of award-winning works from Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Japan, Taiwan, and mainland China, showcasing the diverse landscape of contemporary ceramic design. This year's call for submissions drew applicants from 29 countries and territories, with the top ten originating nations being Taiwan, China, South Korea, Germany, the UK, Hong Kong, Russia, Denmark, Japan, and the United States. In total, students from 62 universities worldwide competed, culminating in a gallery showcase of 18 exceptional works across three major categories: the Future Award (for professional artists), the Rising Star Award, and the Taiwan Scholarship. Taipei Tech's core institutional philosophy places immense value on promoting campus aesthetics and character education, with a particular emphasis on bridging technology and art. Long invested in materials research and development, the university actively seeks out opportunities both locally and globally to use ceramics and other media as a bridge for tech-art integration. The ultimate goal is to catalyze university-industry collaborations, blending ceramics with advanced technology to become a primary driver of everyday lifestyle aesthetics. Under the visionary leadership of CEO Franz Chen, Franz Porcelain has nurtured global ceramic talent since 2007, starting with the "Franz Porcelain Design Award." In 2018, the initiative evolved into the "Franz Rising Star Project," seamlessly combining a scholarship fund with a competitive tournament structure. Over its first three iterations, the project has reviewed nearly 1,800 applications from international students and injected over NT$10 million in scholarships to cultivate global ceramic innovators. Moving forward, the project will continue to expand across three strategic pillars—grants, exhibitions, and retail operations—while introducing international university workshops, physical gallery exhibitions, and cross-institutional digital courses. These diverse collaborations aim to reveal the infinite possibilities of ceramics to the public, encouraging students to experiment with this time-honored medium, preserve ancestral craftsmanship, and blend it with cutting-edge technology to manifest the brilliant, creative ethos of "OLD is NEW." Taipei Tech extends its deepest gratitude and highest respect to CEO Franz Chen for his generous donation of an exquisite Franz porcelain piece: "Auspicious Blessings: The Three Ram Vase" (measuring 30 × 27 × 44 cm). Inducted into the university's permanent aesthetic education archive, this magnificent gift stands as a testament to his concrete support for advancing character and aesthetic literacy at Taipei Tech. We offer our most sincere thanks!

Performance Highlights