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Launched in 2016, the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize has become a platform that champions creativity while preserving cultural heritage across artistic disciplines. Now in its ninth year, the foundation reviewed 5,100 submissions from artists representing 133 countries and regions, narrowing the selection down to 30 finalists. Their works—ranging from ceramics, woodwork, and textiles to glass, metal, jewelry, and lacquer—are currently on view at the National Gallery Singapore from May 13 to June 14, 2026.
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Korea’s Jongjin Park Wins the Loewe Craft Prize 2026
Experimental ceramic artist Jongjin Park of the Republic of Korea won the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2026, receiving €50,000 for his work Strata of Illusion—a sculptural, seat-like form that explores the tension between control and collapse.
The piece was constructed from layered sheets of paper coated in porcelain slip. Once placed inside the kiln, the paper burned away while the structure slumped and distorted under intense heat, ultimately shaping its final form.
The Special Mentions
The jury also awarded two special mentions, each receiving €5,000. The first went to The Baba Tree Master Weavers and Álvaro Catalán de Ocón for Frafra Tapestry, a large-scale anthropological textile work communally woven from an aerial image of a traditional village in Ghana’s Gurunsi region.
Using traditional basketry techniques and natural as well as dyed elephant grass, the work merged contemporary technology with intercontinental artistic collaboration.
The second special mention was awarded to Italian artist Graziano Visintin for Collier, a pair of necklaces composed of tiny gold cubes crafted from delicate sheets of gold. Decorated using niello—an ancient metalworking technique—the necklaces created the effect of endless miniature paintings delicately strung together.
A Milestone for Filipino Artistry
In 2024, wire artist Racso Jugarap was the first Filipino to ever qualify for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize. His work Echinoid, inspired by the form of a sea urchin, was crafted through intricate wire manipulation.
Jugarap’s milestone marked a significant moment for Filipino artistry on the global stage—one that opens the door for more Filipino artists to share not only their craft, but also the stories and heritage woven into their work.
Visit the National Gallery Singapore from May 13 to June 14, 2026 to experience the works of the 30 finalists of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2026. The exhibition is also available to view online and will be documented in an accompanying exhibition catalogue.
Featured Image and Photos: LOEWE
Frequently Asked Questions
Experimental ceramic artist Jongjin Park of the Republic of Korea was named the winner of the 2026 prize, receiving a €50,000 award for his sculptural piece titled Strata of Illusion. The work is a seat-like form that explores the artistic tension between control and collapse. It was meticulously constructed using layered sheets of paper coated in porcelain slip, which were then placed in a kiln where the paper burned away, allowing the intense heat to slump and distort the remaining porcelain into its final organic shape.
The jury awarded two special mentions, each receiving €5,000 for their exceptional contributions to craft. The first went to The Baba Tree Master Weavers and Álvaro Catalán de Ocón for Frafra Tapestry, a communal textile project that used an aerial image of a Ghanaian village as its blueprint. The second mention was given to Italian artist Graziano Visintin for Collier, a set of necklaces made of tiny gold cubes. Visintin utilized niello, an ancient metalworking technique, to give the gold sheets the appearance of miniature paintings.
The Frafra Tapestry represents a unique intercontinental collaboration that used contemporary aerial photography to guide traditional basketry techniques. Communally woven in the Gurunsi region of Ghana, the work utilized both natural and dyed elephant grass to recreate the landscape of a village. This approach allowed the artists to create a large-scale anthropological piece that bridged the gap between modern technology and ancestral weaving methods.
In 2024, wire artist Racso Jugarap became the first Filipino to ever qualify as a finalist for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize with his work Echinoid. Inspired by the natural form of a sea urchin, his piece was created through intricate wire manipulation. Jugarap’s milestone was a significant moment for the Philippines, as it paved the way for more Filipino artists to showcase their heritage and technical skill on a global stage.
The works of all 30 finalists, which include diverse disciplines such as woodwork, textiles, glass, and lacquer, are currently on display at the National Gallery Singapore. The exhibition runs from May 13 to June 14, 2026. For those unable to visit in person, the collection is also available to view through an online exhibition and is documented in an official exhibition catalogue.
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