The annual Loewe Craft Prize is back and the list of finalists — 29 in total — has just been revealed. For the uninitiated, the prize is an initiative launched by Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson to champion international craftsmanship and across diverse genres: woodwork, ceramics, paper, metal, jewellery, lacquer, textiles and more.

Though still in its infancy (this year’s the third edition), the prize is evidently gaining traction — there were more than 2,500 submissions from artists across 100 countries, a rise of 44% over last year’s. There will be a group exhibition of all 29 finalists’ works at Isamu Noguchi’s indoor stone garden ‘Heaven’ at the Sogetsu Kaikan building in Tokyo from 26 June to 22 July, with the winner to be announced on June 25.
Unfortunately, unlike last year, there are no local artists in the latest edition’s group of finalists. Their works above.
Akiko Hirai, United Kingdom
‘The Moon Jar “The life of…”’, stoneware, porcelain, wood ash, white feldspathic glaze,
600 x 600 x 600 mm.
2018
Andrea Walsh, United Kingdom
‘Collection of Contained Boxes’, glass, fine bone china, burnished platinum, burnished gold,
dimensions variable.
2018
Annie Turner, United Kingdom
‘NET’, red grogged clay, lithium glaze, yellow iron oxide, 260 x 500 x 540 mm.
2017
Deloss Webber, United States
‘Geisha Handbag Series’, granite, Susutake bamboo, rattan, pigment,
dimensions variable.
2016
Elke Sada, Germany
‘Eolophus (Hallstattpiece)’, terra nigra, engobes, glaze, 220 x 210 x 500 mm.
2018
Gental Ishikuza, Japan
‘Surface Tactility #11’, urushi, styrene foam balls, two-way tricot, linen cloth,
670 x 660 x 840 mm.
2018
Giampaolo Babetto, Italy
‘Collana’, gold, pigment, 30 x 550 x 30 mm.
2017
Giovanni Corvaja, Italy
‘Mandala bowl’, 18ct gold, 120 x 120 x 70 mm.
2017
Harry Morgan, United Kingdom
‘Untitled’ from Dichotomy Series’, glass, concrete, 250 x 300 x 950 mm.
2018
Heeseung Koh, Republic of Korea
‘A regular sign’, walnut, acrylic, 925 silver, paint, dimensions variable.
2018
Henar Iglesias, Spain
‘Confübius’, feathers, wax, paper, wood and paint, 490 x 920 x 30 mm.
2018
Jim Partidge and Liz Walmsley, United Kingdom
‘Curved Block Seat’, oak, 870 x 420 x 490 mm.
2018
JingFeng Fang & Mi Dong, China
‘Hui 回’, ceramic, 180 x 180 x 130 mm.
2018
John Eric Byers, United States
‘Reveal Table’, carved, blackened, lacquered maple, 508 x 508 x 508 mm.
2018
Jokum Lind Jensen, Sweden
‘The dark’, mild-steel, 130 x 510 x 80 mm.
2018
Junko Mori, United Kingdom
‘Propagation Project; Nigella Chrysanthemum’, wax-coated, forged mild steel,
450 x 450 x 360 mm.
2017
Kazuhito Takadoi, United Kingdom
‘KADO (Angle)’, hawthorn twigs, waxed linen twine, 290 x 1370 x 860 mm.
2018
Koichi lo, Japan
‘Three Legs Vase’, patinated copper, 165 x 170 x 245 mm.
2018
Kye-Yeon Son, Canada
‘Innatus Forma 2018-1’, steel wire, rust, wax finish, 110 x 110 x 355 mm.
2018
Youngsoon Lee, Korea
‘Cocoon Top Series 1’, korean mulberry paper (old book), dimensions variable.
2016
Masanori Nishikawa, Japan
‘Form of the wind’, urushi, linen cloth, Japanese paper, tin powder, platinum powder,
240 x 520 x 850 mm.
2018
Mayu Nakata, Japan
‘Flame’, lacquer, aluminum powder, linen, jute, Japanese paper,
520 x 520 x 420 mm.
2018
Michal Fargo, Israel
‘Blue Velvet from the “Soft Accents” Series’, stoneware ceramics, fibres (flocking),
200 x 200 x 400 mm.
2018
Minhee Kim, Korea
‘Funeral Clothes for the Women’, monofilament, 1300 x 150 x 1600 mm.
2018
Ruudt Peters, Netherlands
‘Suctus’, bog oak, silver/amber, in different shapes, 50 x 100 x 40 mm each.
2018
Sachi Fujikake, Japan
‘Vestige’, glass, 460 x 450 x 550 mm.
2018
Shozo Michikawa, Japan
‘Tanka with Silver’, stoneware, silver liquid glaze, 196 x 192 x 350 mm.
2018
Sophie Rowley, New Zealand
‘Khadi Frays’, cotton, linen, dimensions variable.
2018
Tomonari Hashimoto, Japan
‘Rain box’, stoneware, glaze, metal oxide, 615 × 615 × 615 mm.
2018