The Craftsman's Chronicle: 52 Stories of Dedicated Craftsmen Striving for Excellence (12th Anniversary Edition of Enduring Craftsmanship)

★★【Limited Edition Gift with Book | 2 Nonsensical Newspaper Classified Postcards】★★

Conveying 52+2 positive life energies
Using a small newspaper to highlight the spirit of artisans
"Interviewing 52 artisans is like hearing 52 stories,
Gaining 52 different life experiences.
Seeing the immense passion masters pour into their crafts,
It makes me feel that we should all treat our work with the same dedication."

Artisans are producers who inherit and safeguard traditional crafts passed down through generations, creating quality goods with their own hands. This group of people passionately engages in creation, proud of their rigorous, professional, dedicated, and responsible attitude. This is the artisan spirit forged through the crucible of time.

Twelve years ago, two design students, for their university graduation project, produced a weekly newspaper, meticulously exploring 52 traditional Taiwanese craftspeople. In these potentially once-in-a-lifetime encounters, the masters generously shared their lifelong experiences and techniques. In return, the two curious girls personally documented and depicted the artisans' workplaces, creations, and tools through text, drawings, photography, and layout, dedicating all their youthful passion to bearing witness to this land and paying tribute to these dedicated artisans.

Upon its initial publication in 2013, "Artisan Magazine" received numerous awards and became an introductory book for young people to learn about traditional Taiwanese crafts. Now, after a twelve-year hiatus, it has been comprehensively revised and reissued, updated with the latest developments of the artisans. This not only ensures the continuation of the book's life, continuing to share their stories, but also allows a new generation of young people to witness the enduring craftsmanship of the artisan spirit and once again experience the beauty of the handmade era.

The two girls who, with innocent courage, luggage, and cameras, traveled all over Taiwan back then, now continue the courage and passion of their university explorations, shining brightly in the creative field and demonstrating the diligent and hardworking spirit of the new generation of artisans.

Book Features

▲One artisan per week, leading readers into 52 worlds of meticulous craftsmanship
▲Vintage newspaper layout, innovative publishing visual presentation
▲Detailed Q-version brush illustrations, catering to the needs of the image-reading generation
▲Nonsensical newspaper classified ads, integrating the humor of the new generation

★Awards and Recognition★
China Times Open Book Award "Good Life Book"
Taipei Public Library Annual Good Books for All "Best Children's and Young Adult Literature"
Ministry of Culture "Recommended Excellent Extracurricular Reading for Primary and Secondary School Students"
Golden Butterfly Award Taiwan Publishing Design Award "Honorable Mention"

Recommended by

Chuan Bei Mu | Illustrator
Jiang Ming-chin | Director, Graduate Institute of Architecture and Cultural Heritage, National Taipei University of the Arts
Old House Face Studio | Old House Observation Team
Lin Hsin-yi | Freelance Writer, Reporter
Ling Tsung-kuei | Architectural Heritage Worker
Chen Ming-hui | Founder, Taiwan Craft and Art School
Tsao Ming-tsung | Taiwanese History and Culture Writer
Cheng Kai-hsiang | Author of "Street Houses of Taiwan"
Art Shrimp | City Painter
(In alphabetical order by surname)

Chen Ming-hui (Founder, Taiwan Craft and Art School)
Reading "Artisan Magazine" reminds me of Mr. Yen Shui-lung. If Yen Shui-lung's "Taiwanese Crafts" is a panoramic record from the perspective of producers, then "Artisan Magazine" is more like a modern echo of another cultural classic, "Folklore Taiwan." Tateishi Tetsuomi's brushwork takes us back to daily life in Taiwan over eighty years ago, while the images in "Artisan Magazine" lead us into the ongoing craft scene—both vividly and authentically depict the daily lives of ordinary people, albeit in different eras.

Old House Face Studio (Old House Observation Team)
When talking about "artisan spirit," one thinks of a group of stubborn masters who possess skilled techniques and demand almost perfection in product quality. Many industries, due to cost, are increasingly relying on factory mass production or even direct import of finished products. While relatively fast and cheap, the materials and texture often leave one with a disappointing feeling of "barely usable."
In an era where the rapid loss of handcrafted skills is lamented, the news that "Artisan Magazine" is about to be reissued is truly exciting. Twelve years ago, the two authors, using a news report format and exquisite and lovely illustrations, documented and introduced the proud skills of various artisans. The timeless content is, of course, a guarantee of quality. However, the reissuing of this book also carries another layer of meaning: it represents that these skills are still being guarded by people who earnestly uphold the "artisan spirit." This thought is truly moving, and for the artisans, it is also a memorable milestone.

2025-09-26

遠流

288

9786264183543