A Taiwanese artist made history on Saturday when she was awarded the top prize in a postcard competition at a regional art museum in Japan, an achievement she attributed to the “blessings of the kami [deity].”
Lee Li-chin (李麗琴), who submitted a mixed-media artwork that combined embroidery and oil painting, was the first non-Japanese competitor to win the annual 10x15 World Contest, now in its 10th year.
She received the mayor’s award for her depiction of the Kawai Shrine in Kyoto. The award was presented by Masatomi Asano, mayor of Oyama in Tochigi Prefecture.
Photo courtesy of Lee Li-chi via CNA
Lee after the ceremony said she first got the idea to create the winning postcard during her first visit to Kyoto at the end of 2023 to view the maple leaves.
During the visit, she wandered away from the tour group and unexpectedly came across the Shimogamo Shrine, which includes the Kawai Shrine, she said.
The striking red color of the torii, a traditional Shinto gate, stood out against the surrounding green mountains, she added.
After learning that the Kawai Shrine honored a female deity, “I prayed to her to help me become beautiful,” Lee said, adding that the experience inspired the creation of her award-winning artwork.
During the award ceremony, Lee presented a gift of another of her art pieces to the Kurumaya Museum of Art, which had organized the contest. The painting depicts Ogawake House, part of the Kurumaya museum.
Prior to participating in the Japanese contest, Lee had received widespread praise for 30 postcards she had created in the same mixed-media style for a competition held by the Museum of Fiber Arts in Taichung.
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