The Loewe Foundation has unveiled the thirty finalists for its prestigious 2026 Craft Prize, now in its ninth year. The selection, made by an Expert Panel in Madrid, represents a global survey of contemporary craftsmanship, where age-old techniques meet modern artistic vision. The shortlisted works will be displayed at Singapore's National Gallery from 13 May to 14 June 2026, with the winner announced on 12 May and awarded €50,000.
A Platform for Global Dialogue
Established in 2016, the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize was conceived to recognise and promote exceptional craftsmanship. It seeks out works that demonstrate a profound technical mastery while offering a distinct personal vision, effectively reinterpreting tradition to speak to the present day. The foundation positions contemporary craft as a vital cultural discourse, exploring its evolving relationship with art, innovation, and luxury.
This year's shortlist underscores the astonishing breadth of the field. The selected pieces span disciplines including ceramics, glass, metal, jewellery, wood, lacquer, bookbinding, and textiles. Some are deeply rooted in specific cultural traditions, while others aggressively push materials into new, sculptural territories, challenging conventional boundaries.
Notable Finalists and Collaborative Works
Among the standout pieces is Fra Fra Tapestry #2, a collaborative work by the Baba Tree Master Weavers in Ghana and Spanish designer Álvaro Catalán de Ocón. This large-scale textile is based on drone imagery of circular adobe houses in Ghana's Gurunsi region. The piece synthesises digital planning from Madrid with traditional Ghanaian basketry, transforming architectural forms, ritual knowledge, and collective labour into a singular contemporary artefact.
The selection also highlights European makers engaging with their industrial heritage. British artist Jobe Burns is shortlisted for Laying Vessel, a substantial steel form created in dialogue with the metalworking traditions of the English Midlands. In a different vein, Singaporean artist Adelene Koh's work Endless reimagines the functional endband of a book spine as an intricate, circular sculpture.
Further demonstrating innovation within tradition, Taiwanese artist Chia-Chen Hsieh's Rhythm in Grid employs thousands of thin bamboo strips to create a dense, rippling internal pattern, elevating a classic craft material into a complex contemporary language.
A Jury of Renowned Figures
The final winner will be chosen by a thirteen-member jury comprising leading figures from design, architecture, criticism, journalism, and museum curation. The panel includes the 2025 prize winner, Kunimasa Aoki, LOEWE creative directors Jack McCollough and Lázaro Hernandez, renowned ceramicist Magdalene Odundo, architect Frida Escobedo, and Olivier Gabet, director of the Department of Decorative Arts at the Musée du Louvre in Paris.
The prize is part of a broader institutional effort by the Loewe Foundation to build a lasting platform for craft. This includes a digital exhibition space and The Room, an online archive featuring over 2,800 works by past Craft Prize participants. These initiatives frame the award not merely as an annual competition but as a growing, global repository for contemporary craft practice.
While the exhibition is set for Singapore, the prize maintains a significant European footprint through its Madrid-based foundation, its international jury featuring prominent European cultural figures, and its inclusion of European artists like Catalán de Ocón. The award reflects a broader European appreciation for artisanal excellence and cultural heritage, values that resonate in cities from Paris to Milan. This focus on material culture and preservation finds parallels in other sectors; for instance, scrutiny of major procurement plans in Hungary also involves examining the legacy and integrity of past projects.
The Loewe Craft Prize continues to chart the dynamic evolution of craftsmanship, proving its relevance in an increasingly digital world. By honouring works that blend historical technique with contemporary inquiry, it affirms the enduring power of the human hand to shape meaning, beauty, and connection across continents.
