Mr. Ju Ming is one of the leading sculptors in Asia. With his unique method of expressing Eastern spirituality, he has been a world-famous producer of dynamic art which is highly regarded not only by the specialists but also by the general public. He is also a generous benefactor of art. His contribution includes the foundation of the Juming Museum where his work is exhibited.

Mr. Ju Ming was born in Miaoli, Taiwan in 1938 (his birth name is Ju Chuan-tai). He started his artistic career as an apprentice in traditional carving for Buddhist temples and other religious purposes. At the age of 31, he became a disciple of Yuyu Yang, who was a leading figure in the Taiwanese sculptural world. Under Yang’s supervision, Ju succeeded in combining traditional wood carving and modern sculpture, while gradually developing his own style which eventually went beyond the combination of the two. He made a sensational debut in 1976 when he had his first solo exhibition at the National Museum of History in Taipei.

The display included works such as "In One Heart" and "The Little Matsu", wood carvings whose basis in local folk culture helped give them enormous artistic vitality and vigor. He was enthusiastically embraced by the Taiwanese artistic world where the issue of cultural identity had become the topic of passionate debate. The popularity of the exhibition made it last 6 months longer than scheduled. The "Taichi Series", which no one else except him could have created, firmly established his status, and won much acclaim both in Asia and the West as well as in Taiwan. Ever since, his momentum has never slackened. He produced the "Living World Series" which brilliantly expressed harmony between human beings, both as individuals and in groups. His ingenious way of using new materials like stainless steel, rubber and sponge is also remarkable.

Starting in Japan in 1977, he has held numerous solo exhibitions in a number of places in Asia and the West. Some of the most successful ones were set in the public spaces such as Place Vendôme in central Paris (1997). These innovative projects brought him further fame and provided the foundations for the opening of the "Juming Museum", an open-air sculpture museum housing a collection of his works, in a vast green area of Chinshan, Taipei in 1999. The museum provides the sculptures with a harmonious environment with natural beauty, and therefore attracts many visitors.

Mr. Ju Ming is undoubtedly one of the great masters of modern Asian art because of his deep understanding of Eastern spirituality which forms the core of his artistic expression, and because of his ceaseless creative energy and his dynamic expression, which has roots in both traditional and modern sculpture. The praise which his talents and achievements have earned him both in Asia and throughout the world makes him a worthy winner of the Arts and Culture Prize of the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prizes.