Taiwanese contemporary artist YANG Chung-Ming was invited by STUF United Fund to participate in a summit forum held in conjunction with Climate Week NYC 2026 during the United Nations General Assembly. On September 25, Eastern Time, YANG shared his longstanding exploration of sustainable art, the regeneration of cultural heritage, and materiality through his artistic practice, and presented two newly created works, Borderless Inkscape (2026) and Butterfly Paths Beyond Borders (2026). Through an interdisciplinary practice that brings together plant fibers from Taiwan, traditional papermaking, watermark techniques, and contemporary photographic printmaking, YANG continues to forge connections between history, nature, and contemporary art, bringing a distinctly Taiwanese creative perspective into global conversations on sustainability.
YANG Chung-Ming, Borderless Inkscape, Watermark, Handmade paper, Natural dye, Insect pin, 2026
Borderless Inkscape is a world map unfolding from Taiwan as its point of departure, traversed by the ecological pathways along which generations of butterflies migrate across the globe. Like Taiwan itself—a small island that has nurtured generations of exceptional people whose journeys have reached far beyond its shores and whose contributions have made an impact around the world—these pathways speak of the passing of knowledge and spirit from one generation to the next. In Butterfly Paths Beyond Borders, meanwhile, the beautiful old Taiwan, crisscrossed by routes of travel, serves as both point of departure and destination: a homeland to which we remain deeply connected.
For more than three years, YANG Chung-Ming has worked in collaboration with Professor SHYU Jiann-Gwo of the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, and WU Ting-Wei of Qingyushanfang, researching and developing a distinctive papermaking technique using agricultural waste fibers from pineapple leaves and bamboo. The resulting handmade paper, uniquely developed in Taiwan, is presented through the traditional yet highly contemporary Chinese scroll-mounting format. From the perspective of contemporary art, these works propose another way of imagining, thinking about, and practicing an Eastern aesthetic.
（Upper）YANG Chung-Ming, Borderless Inkscape (detail), Watermark, Handmade paper, Natural dye, Insect pin, 2026
（Lower）YANG Chung-Ming, Butterfly Paths Beyond Borders, Watermark, Handmade paper, Natural dye, Insect pin, 2026
Sustainability is an urgent concern because it is inseparable from the future of human life and well-being. Beyond ecological and climatic sustainability, the sustainability of culture and art also demands long-term attention and care; it is an indispensable form of spiritual and cultural capital. In an age of rapid technological advancement, YANG Chung-Ming reminds us of the value of a willingness to look back toward history and memory; of a creative practice grounded in the tactile qualities and warmth of the hand; and of artworks that embrace new materials while carrying forward a deep concern for traditional culture. Through his practice, YANG contributes a remarkable chapter from Taiwan to the ongoing story of sustainable art.
During the event, YANG also presented information on The Plant Time, an international touring exhibition curated by Professor YANG Chia-Ling of the University of Edinburgh and Sunny Chang Ph. D, Director of Gallery de sol in Taipei, with support from the Ministry of Culture’s “Kuroshio Project.” Taking advantage of this important international gathering, the presentation introduced Taiwan’s innovative artistic experimentation alongside works deeply grounded in humanistic concerns. Beginning in 2027, the exhibition is scheduled to travel to Kyoto, Japan, Edinburgh, UK, and other locations, featuring works by YANG Chung-Ming and Professor YANG Wei-Lin, a leading figure in Taiwan’s fiber art. Together, their practices continue to explore questions of environmental and cultural sustainability.
“The Plant Time: Art Experiment by YANG Wei-Lin and YANG Chung-Ming” is curated by Professor YANG Chia-Ling and Sunny Chang Ph. D, and supported by the Ministry of Culture’s “Kuroshio Project.”
The summit forum, “Circular Economy & Green Finance: From Circular Materials to Climate Capital — Scaling Asia-U.S. Net-Zero Partnerships,” was held from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the STUF headquarters in New York. Focusing on the two key themes of circular economy and green finance, the forum brought together participants from diverse fields to explore how resources, assets, and cultural value can be redefined in the transition toward sustainability, as well as the possibilities for cross-disciplinary collaboration between Asia and the United States.
Within this context, YANG Chung-Ming’s practice offers another way of understanding the idea of “circularity”: not simply as the reuse of material resources, but also as the transformation and continuation of cultural memory, traditional techniques, and local knowledge through contemporary artistic practice. From plant fibers to paper, and from historical imagery to contemporary art, materials retain traces of each transformation, allowing art to become a means of connecting nature, culture, and time.
Event｜Circular Economy & Green Finance: From Circular Materials to Climate Capital — Scaling Asia-U.S. Net-Zero Partnerships
Date & Time｜September 25, 2026 (Friday), 1:30–6:30 p.m. ET
Venue｜STUF Headquarters, New York (800 2nd Ave, Suite 804, New York, NY 10017)
Website｜https://www.stuf-climate-week-2026.com/
Circular Economy & Green Finance: From Circular Materials to Climate Capital — Scaling Asia-U.S. Net-Zero Partnerships
(Left) Artist YANG Chung-Ming and Sunny Chang, Director of Gallery de sol, introduce the works to Ambassador Tom Chih-chiang Lee of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York.
(Right) The Climate Week NYC summit brought together professionals from diverse fields for presentations and discussions. From right: Peter C. L. Lin, Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Center of STUF United Fund; LU Tung-Hsuan, Convener of the Industry-Academia Collaboration Committee of the Resource Circulation Industry Booster Association (RCBA); WU Hsiu-Fen, Chairwoman of S.C.D Industrial Co., Ltd.; and contemporary artist YANG Chung-Ming.
Related Link:
Official Website of YANG Chung-Ming
曜畫廊 Gallery de sol
Situated within the prestigious Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Gallery de sol positions itself as an academically oriented space focused on art historical research, dedicated to promoting contemporary print-based artworks.
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