30 artists are shortlisted for the 2020 LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize

Thirty emerging and established artists from 18 different countries are in the running for the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize, including makers working with found and upcycled materials, creating nature-inspired forms and engaging in political and philosophical commentary.

Among the finalists is Darshana Raja from Kenya, who assembles wood offcuts with mathematical precision to create elegant sculptures. David Corvalán’s iridescent pieces are made of individual strands of copper, fixed together with resin – a statement against the abuses of industrial copper mining in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

Meanwhile, Jess Tolbert, from the United States, is presenting a brooch made from layers of upcycled staples, a hypnotic reflection on mass production. Pakistan’s Waqas Khan, in contrast, is inspired by the Sufi philosophy, making large compositions in a meditative, almost trance-like state using red ink on wasli paper.

Flying the flag for the United Kingdom is silversmith Kevin Grey, whose sculpture made from hand-welded silver strands is inspired by the scientific and aesthetic concept of chiral – in which a thing is distinguishable from its mirror image – and Northern Irish potter Jack Doherty, whose soda-fired porcelain Guardian Vessel recalls the oceanic colours and textures around his studio in Cornwall.

The fourth edition of the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize, which recognises important contributions to the development of contemporary craft and awards €50,000 to the winner, attracted almost 3,000 entrants – a 15% increase on the previous edition.

The shortlist was chosen by a panel of 10 experts, led by the architecture and design correspondent of El País, Anatxu Zabalbeascoa, who highlighted the international nature of the shortlist – ranging from Joël Andrianomearisoa from Madagascar to Afsaneh Modiramani from Iran. ‘The works show a conversation across continents and generations, with young and established makers embracing and reinvigorating tradition in surprising and masterful ways. We are seeing works of the highest cultural and aesthetic ambition, inspired by themes that reflect the state of the world.’

The winner will be announced on 19 May, selected by a jury of 12 leading figures from the world of design, architecture, journalism and curating, including last year’s winner, Genta Ishizuka. The shortlisted works will then be exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

[UPDATE: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the announcement of the winner and the exhibition have now been postponed until Spring 2021. Check the Craft Prize website for details]

Here is the full shortlist for the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize, in alphabetical order:

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)

Takayuki Sakiyama (Japan)

Tobias Møhl (Denmark)

Veronika Beckh (Germany)

Waqas Khan (Pakistan)

Xavier Toubes (Spain)

Yang Gao (China)