PARIS — Can old rubber tires, compressed wood and used glass be spun into haute crafts?
Absolutely. The expert panel for the seventh edition of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize found “the elevation and transformation of the everyday” a recurring theme as it shortlisted 30 artists and artisans from 3,900 submissions.
The winner, who takes home 50,000 euros, is to be revealed on May 14 in Paris, when an exhibition showcasing the work of all 30 finalists goes on display at the Palais de Tokyo.
“We continue to push the boundaries of craft and expand its horizons,” said Spanish art historian and journalist Anatxu Zabalbeascoa, who is executive secretary of the expert panel that came up with the short list.
Noting that many works were created from recycled materials, including copper, wire and silicone, Zabalbeascoa lauded a “celebration of everyday monumentality that paradoxically challenges the distinction between art and craft.”
In her view, craft embodies “creativity, meaning, culture and technique and we believe that traditions are best preserved when they are questioned and reimagined.”
Divulging details of the 2024 edition of the prize exclusively to WWD, Loewe noted that “a combination of skill and mastery of technique, guided by intuition and chance, has been utilized in the creation of several works on this year’s short list.”
The Spanish luxury house, owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, also noted that many entries feature “organic, biomorphic forms that push materials to their physical limits to present new configurations and unique shapes not seen before.”
The shortlisted artists hail from 16 countries and regions, and submitted designs in materials including ceramics, woodwork, textiles, furniture, paper, basketry, glass, metal, jewelry, lacquer and leather.
The 12 members of the expert panel, who include museum curators and several previous Loewe Foundation Craft Prize finalists, were charged with identifying the most exceptional works in terms of technical accomplishment, skills, innovation and artistic vision, according to Loewe.
The prize is the brainchild of Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson, who describes craft as the “essence of Loewe.…That is where our modernity lies, and it will always be relevant.”
Founded in 1846 as a Madrid-based leather-making collective and supplier to the Spanish royal crown, Loewe has in recent years evolved into a fast-growing global luxury brand steeped in contemporary culture.
Anderson is also curating “Crafted World,” an immersive exhibition about Loewe that’s slated to open at the Shanghai Exhibition Center on March 22 and include behind-the-scenes insights about the artisans that bring its clothing and accessories to life.
Loewe’s annual craft prize and exhibition moves about the world, and has also been held in Madrid, Tokyo, Seoul, London and New York City. The exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo is scheduled to run until June 9.
Anderson headlines a 12-member jury that will select the winner from the 30 shortlisted artists, a responsibility he shares with the likes of architects Minsuk Cho, Patricia Urquiola and Wang Shu; potter Magdalene Odundo; writer Deyan Sudjic; Metropolitan Museum curator Abraham Thomas, and Olivier Gabet, director of the Louvre’s art department.
Any professional artisan over age 18 can vie for the prize, so long as they submit work that combines “an innovative application of its craft with an original artistic concept.”
The 2024 finalists are: Andrés Anza from Mexico; Miki Asai, Japan; Patrick Bongoy, Republic of the Congo, and Emmanuel Boos, France: Chun Tai Chen, Taiwan; Eunmi Chun, South Korea; Ange Dakouo, Mali; Ken Eastman, U.K.; Jeremy Frey, U.S.; Karl Fritsch, New Zealand; Kevin Grey, U.K.; Raven Halfmoon, U.S; Yuefeng He, China; Ferne Jacobs, U.S; Racso Jugara, Philippines; Hiroshi Kaneyasu, Japan; Heechan Kim, South Korea; Kira Kim, South Korea; Alison Croney Moses, U.S; Gaku Nakane, Japan; Aya Oki, U.S; Ozioma Onuzulike, Nigeria; Jongwon Lee, or Weonrhee, South Korea; Ikuya Sagara, Japan; Luis Santos Montes, Spain; Saar Scheerlings, Netherlands; Polly Adams Sutton, U.S.; Kazuhiro Toyama, Japan; Norman Weber, Germany, and Dahyeon Yoo of Debaroun, South Korea.
