The LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2025 has been awarded to Japanese artist Kunimasa Aoki for his striking terracotta sculpture Realm of Living Things 19. This year’s edition of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2025 was announced at a ceremony held at Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, where Aoki’s work stood out among 30 exceptional finalists selected from over 4,600 global submissions.
Known for pushing the boundaries of material and form, Kunimasa Aoki created his winning piece from delicate coils of clay, shaped under extreme pressure and fired at high temperatures. The result is a raw yet refined sculpture that speaks to both ancestral techniques and contemporary experimentation—a quality the jury described as “bold, poetic, and technically daring.”
The LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2025 also recognized two artists with Special Mentions. Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello was honored for TM Bench with Bowl, a minimalist work in reclaimed aluminum reflecting on global trade and sustainability. Studio Sumakshi Singh, representing India, received the second Special Mention for Monument, a reimagined 12th-century Indian column created from embroidered copper thread on a dissolved textile base.
Celebrating more than technical skill, the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize highlights the emotional, cultural, and political depth embedded in contemporary craft. Kunimasa Aoki’s sculpture, shaped by elemental forces like gravity and fire, captures the fragility and resilience of both material and maker.
The exhibition of all 30 finalist works is on view at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum from May 30th to June 29th, offering a vivid snapshot of global craft today—from ceramics and textiles to glass and metalwork.
Don’t miss our interview with Andrés Anza, winner of the 2024 LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize, where the rising ceramicist unpacks his surreal, spiked creations, his resistance to literal inspiration, and why he believes imperfection is where the soul resides.
Photography courtsy of LOEWE