3D Creative Talent Showcase Competition 2025: Advancing Open-Source Education through Chinese Culture and Technological Innovation

Krystal Institute advances 3D creative literacy and practical capabilities at the primary and secondary school levels through its DECT (Digital Economy Core Technology) education curriculum framework, leveraging  open-source tools to nurture the next generation of creators.

As part of the "3D Animation Talent Showcase 2025" organized by CGGE, Krystal Institute builds upon the success of 2024's "Our Aerospace Dream" theme, continuing to utilize Blender as the core open-source tool. The initiative encourages students and young creators aged 9 to 18 to explore the theme of "Chinese Culture" through 3D animation and modeling, embodying the creative vision of "igniting creative sparks with the light of humanities."

Building on 2024's Success: From Space Dreams to Cultural Roots

The 2024 competition demonstrated students' capability to produce high-caliber work using Blender. Krystal Institute's "Digital Dreamers" workshop benefit Blender course, enabled over 40 students aged 9-20 to master Blender fundamentals and create space-themed works within a short timeframe. In 2025, we extend this educational approach to the cultural domain, anticipating that more young creators will interpret Chinese culture through digital tools, discovering their generation's unique voice at the intersection of tradition and innovation.

2025 Theme: Multifaceted Exploration of Chinese Culture

This year's theme encourages participants to represent diverse aspects of Chinese culture through 3D modeling or animation, including historical narratives, folklore, craft aesthetics, and regional cultures. Participants are encouraged to conduct in-depth cultural research while exercising creativity to produce works with personal style and contemporary relevance. Participants may also appropriately utilize AI-generated tools for creating fabric materials and texture maps to enhance production efficiency.

Comprehensive Educational Support and Outreach: From Foundation to Advanced Creation

Krystal Institute has launched a series of initiatives this year to help educators and students master open-source tools and creative skills:

• 6 Sessions of “Exploring The Digital World with Blender” Online Seminars Designed specifically for primary and secondary school teachers, these train-the-trainer sessions share how to integrate Blender with creative pedagogy to inspire student interest in Chinese culture.

• AI + Blender Summer Elite Camp

  A comprehensive 30-hour course covering AI tool applications, 3D modeling, and animation production, enabling students to progress from foundational to advanced skills while generating creative concepts and assets.

• Law Ting Pong Secondary School Blender Pre-Competition Training

  An intensive 11.5-hour program covering 3D modeling and animation production, enabling rapid proficiency in Blender. Twenty students participated in the "3D Creative Talent Showcase Competition 2025," with two students receiving Merit Awards.

Student Group Gold Award: Qilin Emissary Lin Qi'er

The Gold Award winner is the "Team Lion Dance" from Pui Ching Middle School (Macau), comprising two secondary school students and one supervising teacher. Their artwork is an exceptionally creative Chinese-style character design work, rich in detail with a distinctive style and remarkable expressiveness.

Open Group Gold Award: Xuannü, the Divine Goddess of the Nine Heavens, Clasps the Moon

The Gold Award winner's artwork is an outstanding work of exceptional quality. The character model demonstrates balanced proportions and form, with exquisitely detailed costume textures and accessories. The creator executed meticulous rigging operations, bringing the character to life and delivering a visual feast for viewers.

For more award-winning works, please visit here.

From IAICC to Blender Conference: The Creative Journey

Through organizing the "3D Creative Talent Showcase Competition 2025," the International Artificial Intelligence and Creativity Conference (IAICC), and hosting the first official Blender Conference in Asia (BCON25), CGGE has established international exchange platforms for the next generation of creators to engage with world-class animation masters and exchange creative philosophies.

This year's award ceremony took place at the second BCON25, marking the first time the official Blender Conference has crossed continents to make its grand debut in Shenzhen, Asia's tech capital. The Chinese community, representing 14% of Blender users globally, gathered with world-class developers, artists, and industry leaders to explore the infinite possibilities of 3D creation together. To further connect talent, enterprises, and markets, this year's Open Group Gold Award winner received a three-day pass to the 2026 Amsterdam Blender Conference, providing an opportunity to visit the Netherlands, understand industry dynamics, technological trends, and community culture, and expand international horizons.

From outreach activities and student courses to creative competitions and international exchanges, Krystal Institute continues to refine the open-source education ecosystem, enabling more young people to realize their creative aspirations through accessible tools and systematic learning.

About Krystal Institute

Krystal Institute engages in teaching, research, training, and certification to empower the people, provide upward mobility, and bridge the global digital divide. We deliver essential knowledge for excellence in the digital economy. We prepare students to fully utilize their knowledge, skills, and tools in the digital economy by fostering their creativity and providing open-source technologies.

Our Founders have decades of experience collaborating with educational institutions worldwide, such as Nanyang Technological University, Shenzhen University, and City University of Hong Kong. Founder Raymond Neoh produced China's first 3D CG animated feature film, Thru the Moebius Strip (2004). To date, the Institute of Digital Game Technology and Institute of Digital Media Technology have trained close to 10,000 media professionals for China's digital content creation industry.

In Hong Kong, we collaborate with training and industry partners to offer courses in over 40 different areas within the Digital Economy Core Technologies (DECT) framework. We have established academic collaborations with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, driving our research and development.

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