Finished work by finalist Tobias Møhl for Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2020. Photo courtesy Loewe
After receiving almost 3,000 submissions from 107 different countries across six continents, the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize’s expert panelists had a difficult task ahead of them: to narrow down the list to a mere 30 finalists. However, after months of deliberation, the ten members have chosen their top artisans and exclusively unveiled the names to Vogue Arabia today.
From up-and-coming artists to well-established names, the 30 creatives selected for the fourth edition of the Prize present a varying array of objects that “prove a mastery of material, reimagine traditional techniques, and display a brave willingness to experiment,” explained an official statement. What may not come as a surprise this year is that many of the submissions included a sustainable component, using upcycled or organic materials and demonstrating a common concern for the environment.
Finished work by finalist David Corvalán for Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2020. Photo courtesy Loewe
‘This year’s prize is more international than ever and the shortlisted works show a conversation across continents and generations, with young and established makers embracing and reinvigorating tradition in surprising and masterful ways,” said Anatxu Zabalbeascoa, executive secretary of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize experts panel. “We are seeing works of the highest cultural and aesthetic ambition, inspired by themes that reflect the state of the world. For all this, the plurality and openness of the Prize promise so much today and into the future.”
While all 30 of the shortlisted artists will have the prestigious opportunity to display their contemporary works at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris from May 21 until July 19, only one will receive the AED 200,000 grand prize. A separate jury, which will include Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson himself, will deliberate on which of the works demonstrate “technical accomplishment, skills, innovation, and artistic vision” and announce the winner at the exhibition opening on May 19.
Finished work by finalist Darshana Raja for Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2020. Photo courtesy Loewe
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The annual prize, which was launched back in 2016 in tribute to the Spanish fashion house’s humble beginnings as a collective craft workshop in 1846, celebrates artists whose innovative craftsmanship will create new industry standards to strive toward—a sentiment at the very core of Loewe itself. “Craft is the essence of Loewe,” Anderson previously explained. “As a house, we are about craft in the purest sense of the word. That is where our modernity lies, and it will always be relevant.”
The full list of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2020 is as follows:
Afsaneh Modiramani (Iran)
Anthony Marsh (United States)
Bodil Manz (Denmark)
Carla Garcia Durlan (Spain)
Darshana Raja (Kenya)
David Corvalán (Chile)
Despo Sophocleous (Canada)
Edu Tarín (Germany)
Fanglu Lin (China)
Hyejeong Kim (Republic of Korea)
Jack Doherty (Ireland)
Jess Tolbert (United States)
Jessica Loughlin (Australia)
Jiyong Lee (United States)
Joël Andrianomearisoa (Madagascar)
Kevin Grey (United Kingdom)
Kohei Ukai (Japan)
Kyeok Kim (Republic of Korea)
Marc Ricourt (France)
Naama Haneman (Israel)
Peter Bauhuis (Germany)
Sukkeun Kang (Republic of Korea)
Sungho Cho (Republic of Korea)
Sungyoul Park (Republic of Korea)
Tobias Møhl (Denmark)
Veronika Beckh (Germany)
Waqas Khan (Pakistan)
Xavier Toubes (Spain)
Yang Gao (China)
Finished work by finalist Xavier Toubes for Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2020. Photo courtesy Loewe
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