The LOEWE Craft Prize seeks to acknowledge and support international artisans of any age or gender who demonstrate an exceptional ability to create objects of superior aesthetic value. By identifying work that reinterprets existing knowledge to make it relevant today while reflecting its maker’s personal language and distinct hand, the LOEWE FOUNDATION aims to highlight the continuing contribution of craft to the culture of our time.
For the 2018 edition, a panel of 11 experts convened in Madrid for two days to review all presented works and select the shortlist. In their deliberations, the panel sought to identify the most outstanding works in terms of technical accomplishment, innovation and artistic vision.
Regarding the selection process, Anatxu Zabalbeascoa, Executive Secretary of the LOEWE Craft Prize Experts Panel, stated: ‘This year the judging was harder than prior years, with the standard of applicants impressively high across every category. Our chosen works reflect an almost alchemical manipulation of each medium’s possibilities and reward those who have mastered traditional skills in order to transform them for the contemporary age. The selected finalists —who range in age from 27 to 76— are a multigenerational snapshot of the utmost excellence in craft today.’
Among the 30 works which have been selected as Finalists by the Experts Panel, 4 are jewelers: PAUL ADIE, RITA SOTO, SAM THO DUONG and SARA GACKOWSKA.
These works will take part of the LOEWE Craft Prize 2018 exhibition that will travel to London, where the Jury will make a final decision on May 3.
The Prize for the winning entry is 50,000 euros. The winning work selected by the Jury, as well as the works of the finalists selected by the Experts Panel will be included in an exhibition and accompanying catalogue “LOEWE Craft Prize 2018”, on view in London.
The Finalists of the LOEWE Craft Prize 2018
The list of the finalists are: Mercedes Vicente, Paul Adie, Jennifer Lee, Richard McVetis, Aneta Regel, Takeshi Yasuda, Gunilla Maria Akesson, ARKO, Takuro Kuwata, Ryuhei Sako, Shohei Yokoyama, Yeonsoon Chang, Joonyong Kim, Hae Cho Chung, Min Chen, Steffen Dam, Sam Tho Duong, Sara Gackowska, Ann van Hoey, Joe Hogan, Deirdre McLoughlin, Marie Janssen, Christopher Kurtz, Julian Watts, Simone Pheulpin, Irina Razumovskaya, Rita Soto, Laurenz Stockner, Wycliffe Stutchbury, Ashley YK Yeo.
2018 Jury:
- Jonathan Anderson, LOEWE Creative Director. - Ernst Gamperl, Winner of the LOEWE Craft Prize first edition. - Rosy Greenlees, President of the World Crafts Council. - Hong-Nam Kim, former Director of the National Museum of Korea. - Toshiyuki Kita, furniture and product designer. - Enrique Loewe, LOEWE FOUNDATION Honorary President. - Deyan Sudjic, essayist and Director of Design Museum, London. - Benedetta Tagliabue, architect and Pritzker Prize jury member. - Patricia Urquiola, architect and industrial designer. - Anatxu Zabalbeascoa (Chair), architecture and design correspondent for El País.