LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2024

For the 8th edition of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize, the foundation received a record breaking 3900 entries from artisans working in 124 countries and regions. From here, the LOEWE FOUNDATION jury selected a group of 30 finalists, whose work is currently being exhibited in a special exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo through June 9, 2024. The jury led by LOEWE creative director, Jonathan Anderson, was composed of leading art, design, craft and cultural leaders including Magdalene Odundo, Minsuk Cho, Olivier Gabet and Abraham Thomas.

After long deliberations, they selected Andrés Anza, an artist from Mexico, as the winner, with his piece “I only know what I have seen,” 2023. This life-sized ceramic sculpture impressed the jury not only in stunning and complex anthropomorphic form, allowing it to seem at once figurative and abstract, but also in its detail using thousands of individual ceramic pieces to create the surface. The LOEWE FOUNDATION comments, “The jury observed that this work defies time and cultural context, drawing upon ancient, archaeological forms but also tracing a post-digital aesthetic that sees ceramics absorbing the most defining influences of our time.”

In addition, the jury also agreed on three special mentions: Miki Asai, a Japanese artist for her work ‘Still Life’, 2023, which is composed of three sculptural rings, each one topped with exquisitely crafted miniature vessels. “This work was commended by the jury for its unexpected combination of intricacy and monumentality. The jury noted Asai’s telescopic use of shape, as well as her mastery of both lacquer and eggshell techniques”. French artist, emmanuel boos was awarded for his work, “Coffee Table ‘Comme un lego’”, which was made using 98 hollow porcelain bricks. Korean artist Heechan Kim was awarded a special mention for his work “#16”, 2023, a striking sculptural vessel using traditional boat making techniques with ash and copper wire.

This year’s edition features artisans working in glass, ceramic, textile, wood, leather, lacquer and jewellery and other mediums. The LOEWE FOUNDATION notes, “This year’s edition of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize presents a selection of works that feature organic and biomorphic forms that push materials to their physical limits. Many of the works repurpose found or recycled materials and there is a focus on the elevation and transformation of the everyday”.

Visit The Room, the LOEWE FOUNDATION’s digital exhibition platform that beautifully captures the beauty and depth of talent among the 30 finalists.

All photos courtesy of LOEWE FOUNDATION

https://craftprizeexhibition.loewe.com/

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