Standing at 3,952 meters, Yushan (Mount Jade) is not only Taiwan’s highest peak, but also a enduring cultural symbol of resilience, biodiversity, and quiet majesty. When an iconic natural landmark becomes the canvas for artistic expression, the results can be truly breathtaking.
The winners of the E.SUN Art Awards 2026 have officially been announced by E.SUN Bank, highlighting how artists around the globe interpret Taiwan’s ecological wonder. Organized by E.SUN Financial Holding Company (FHC), E.SUN Bank, and the E.SUN Culture and Education Foundation, this international painting competition invites creators to depict Yushan through oil, acrylic, or gouache.
The response this year was massive. The 2026 open call drew a total of 2,151 entries. Most notably, the International Category saw a record-breaking 702 submissions from 90 countries and regions, nearly doubling the international participation from its previous edition.
Winning Perspectives: From Classical Mineral Pigments to Flying Whales
The competition spans three main divisions: International, General Public, and Student categories.
In the International Category, Japanese artist Yuki Ideguchi took home the First Prize (accompanied by a USD 36,000 award) for his piece titled Taiwan’s Roof. Rooted in classical Japanese painting techniques, Ideguchi layered natural mineral pigments on silk to construct an evocative, tranquil spiritual world around the mountain.
Special Selection honors (USD 18,000 each) were also awarded to three standout creators:
Hiroto Wada (Japan) with Picture of the Phantasm of Scattering Jade, which plays with imagery of dissolving and welling water to capture Yushan as both ancient and constantly renewing.
Hiroaki Hyodo (Japan) with Flying Whale: Yushan, envisioning the mountain, its vibrant cities, and rural landscapes carried on the back of a soaring whale where nature and everyday human life blend seamlessly.
Agustin Sirai (Argentina) with Yushan Variation, arranging recurring visual motifs like bamboo, stones, mist, and negative space to deconstruct and rebuild the landscape.
The selection also recognized Outstanding awardees across the globe, including Saori Hasegawa (Japan), Yoshio Imamura (Japan), Noriyuki Muraki (Japan), Anna Linberger (Germany), and Rodion Voskresenskii (Russia).
Celebrating Local Talent and Ecology
Taiwanese artists delivered equally moving interpretations across the domestic divisions:
General Public Category: First Prize (TWD 1 million / approx. USD 31,400) was awarded to Huey-Chih Ho for The Ecological Beauty of Yushan, an oil painting that pays tribute to the mountain’s rich endemic flora and fauna.
Student Category: First Prize (TWD 300,000 / approx. USD 9,400) went to Jin Qian Chen for The Yushan Banquet: A Feast for All Beings, which cleverly borrows the visual language of traditional Taiwanese banquets to present nature and wildlife as honored banquet guests.
Catch the Winning Works
Winners will be officially recognized at an awards ceremony in Taipei on December 4, 2026. Following the ceremony, art enthusiasts can look forward to a touring exhibition showcasing the award-winning pieces across multiple venues, with official tour schedules and locations to be announced soon.
Whether you are an artist tracking international open calls or simply love seeing how global creators interpret local heritage, the diverse mediums and cultural perspectives on display this year make the lineup well worth exploring.
For the complete list of winners and updates on the upcoming exhibition tour, head over to the official E.SUN Art Awards website.
