LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2026 reveals its finalists

The LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize returns for its ninth edition, spotlighting 30 exceptional contemporary craft artists selected from more than 5,100 submissions across 133 territories. The winner, along with two special mentions, will be announced on May 12th, 2026, ahead of a month-long exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore running from May 13th to June 14th.

This year’s edition underscores the Prize’s ongoing mission: to celebrate artistic merit, technical excellence, and innovation in contemporary craft while fostering a truly global dialogue.

Contemporary craft artists shaping the 2026 edition

The 2026 shortlist brings together creators from 19 countries, working across bookbinding, ceramics, wood, textiles, furniture, glass, metal, lacquer, and jewelry. Among the finalists are Baba Tree Master Weavers × Álvaro Catalán de Ocón and Rafael Pérez Fernández (Spain); Jobe Burns and Susan Halls (UK); Soohyun Chou, Jong In Lee, Somyeong Lee, Jieun Park, Jongjin Park, and Coco Sung (South Korea); Morten Løbner Espersen and Maria Koshenkova (Denmark); Liam Fleming and Kirstie Rea (Australia); Oskar Gustafsson (Sweden); Gjertrud Hals (Norway); Chia-Chen Hsieh (Taiwan); Adelene Koh (Singapore); Misako Nakahira, Nobuyuki Tanaka, and Ayano Yoshizumi (Japan); Fadekemi Ogunsanya (Nigeria); Dorothea Prühl (Germany); Vivi Rosa (Brazil); Hervé Sabin (Haiti); Xanthe Somers (Zimbabwe); Graziano Visintin (Italy); Rayah Wauters (Belgium); Nan Wei (China); and Jane Yang-D’Haene (USA).

According to the foundation, the selected works “approached making as a careful negotiation between balance, instability and tension,” pairing cultural tradition with contemporary mediation. The diversity of materials and approaches reflects the evolving language of craft today, where heritage techniques are reimagined through experimental forms and conceptual rigor.

Established in 2016, the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize awards €50,000 to its winner and €5,000 to each special mention, reinforcing the cultural value of savoir-faire. For 2026, the jury includes foundation president Sheila Loewe alongside leading voices from design and architecture, as well as co-creative directors Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, who join the panel for the first time.

Further expanding its commitment to сontemporary craft artists, the foundation has also partnered with Belmond to introduce three two-month residencies at La Residencia in Mallorca, offering alumni the opportunity to deepen their practice within a rich cultural landscape.

As anticipation builds toward May 12, the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize once again proves that craft is not a relic of the past, but one of the most forward-thinking and globally resonant disciplines of our time.