Late last month, the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize ceremony returned home to Madrid, Spain. During a cocktail and tapas hour in the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum’s courtyard, finalists and their guests mingled with the new creative directors of Loewe, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, and jury members including Frida Escobedo, the architect, essayist, and visionary behind the new Tang Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; and Abraham Thomas, the curator of modern architecture, design, and decorative arts at The Met.
Since its inception in 2016, the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, which was envisioned by the brand’s former creative director Jonathan Anderson, has celebrated artistic merit and newness in modern craftsmanship. The label encourages anyone over 18 working in a craft-based profession to apply and compete for a prize of 50,000 euros, with two special mentions each receiving 5,000 euros. According to Loewe, a panel of experts decides upon the winner based on their “originality, clear artistic vision and merit, precise execution, material excellence, innovative value, and a distinct authorial mark.”
A few famous friends of Loewe also made appearances at the award ceremony. Ayo Edebiri, Lesley Manville, and Murray Bartlett were seen chatting among attendees, enjoying the perfect weather and awaiting the announcement of the winner. Elsewhere, filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar was seen sporting a fun pair of Loewe glasses while being escorted through the crowd and gesturing to those that expressed their love of his films.
During the festivities, attendees were encouraged to step inside the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum to preview the 30 finalists’ creations. Many of the artisans proudly stood next to their work, answering questions about the processes they used and what inspired them to submit their pieces for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize.
As the ceremony began, guests quieted down and shifted their focus to the podium. One of the special mentions was presented to Nifemi Marcus-Bello of Nigeria for his piece titled “TM Bench With Bowl.” During the private viewing, he said he initially didn’t understand why people gravitated toward his submission piece until he placed it in his own home. It was then he had his own aha moment.
The second special mention was presented by Meg Ryan to Studio Sumakshi Singh from India for her piece “Monument.” Singh used a thread made of copper and nylon on a water-soluble backing to create a reimagining of a 12th-century historic colonnade in the Qutab Minar complex in Delhi.
Sheila Loewe and Almodóvar presented the night’s top award with a beautifully witty dance between Almodóvar’s Spanish and an English translation by Loewe. Almodóvar movingly stated that “the artists in the exhibition represent a continued need to remain curious. I urge you all to slow down and spend time with the works.” He then graciously announced the winner, Japanese sculptor Kunimasa Aoki, for his piece “Realm of Living Things 19.” Aoki, who is also a high school design teacher in Japan, said his terra-cotta piece, which uses an ancestral technique that distorts the clay under pressure, said it took three months to complete. When accepting the award, Aoki thanked his fellow participants and said they gave him strength to do more work in the future. When asked what inspires him, Aoki joked that “I am very boring,” before revealing that he loves motorbikes as well as the films Easy Rider and Mad Max.
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