Loewe shortlist names 30 Craft Prize finalists, spotlighting sustainability and materials

1. Jobe Burns, lacquered steel

Jobe Burns lands on Loewe’s 30-strong shortlist with a lacquered steel piece called out by Cultured; think industrial cool softened by hand-polished layers that read like armor and glaze at once. His inclusion signals the Prize’s appetite for metalwork that feels sculptural and tactile, one of the many disciplines highlighted across the shortlist.

2. Jieun Park, bulbous sterling silver teardrops

Jieun Park’s work is described as “bulbous, sterling silver teardrops” in the shortlist coverage, a reminder that jewelry here functions as small-scale sculpture. The pieces nod to precious-metal craft while slotting into the Prize’s broader focus on material reinvention and contemporary technique.

3. Fadekemi Ogunsanya, narrative tapestries

Fadekemi Ogunsanya is listed for narrative tapestries, a textile practice that brings storytelling and weaving to the fore of the shortlist. Her presence underlines how the Prize celebrates tapestry as a contemporary medium, a way of encoding social history into texture and color.

4. Coco Sung, Shadow Kkokdu statuettes

Coco Sung’s Shadow Kkokdu is singled out for reimagining Korean funerary figures as “small, talismanic characters built from clay, lacquer, wire and beadwork,” a description from Wallpaper that captures the work’s otherworldly, colorful intensity. These technicolor statuettes map tradition onto a kitschy, talismanic aesthetic and sit perfectly within the Prize’s “tradition-meets-experimentation” thread.

5. Rayah Wauters, Belgium, featured in “The Room”

Belgian artist Rayah Wauters appears among the shortlisted names and is also listed as a participant in Loewe’s online platform “The Room,” which showcases nominated artists to a global audience. Her inclusion speaks to Loewe’s digital strategy: the Prize isn’t just a gallery show, it’s an amplified online dossier for makers.

6. Nan Wei, “Knot‑Loving” lacquer rework with leather

Nan Wei’s “Knot‑Loving” is specifically described as reworking the Japanese Shippi lacquer technique using leather, an experimental material swap called out by Wallpaper. That blend, lacquer’s gloss married to leather’s give, embodies the Prize’s interest in material innovation and the reinvention of rooted techniques.

7. Jane Yang‑D’Haene, USA, in “The Room”

Jane Yang‑D’Haene is named among the finalists and appears in “The Room,” Loewe’s online space for nominees. Her listing reinforces how the Prize markets makers beyond the exhibition window, a small but meaningful career lever in a field where visibility equals commissions and residencies.

8. Ayano Yoshizumi, Japan, in “The Room”

Ayano Yoshizumi is another shortlisted artist who’s also in “The Room,” drawing attention to Loewe’s digital curation. Japan’s presence among listed finalists (including Yoshizumi and others) feeds into the Prize’s transnational conversation about craft traditions and modern reinterpretation.

9. Nobuyuki Tanaka, Japan

Nobuyuki Tanaka is explicitly named among the finalists in Galeriemagazine’s coverage, marking another Japanese voice in the 30. His appearance helps illustrate the shortlist’s geographic spread: finalists span 19 countries and regions, blending multiple craft genealogies.

10. Graziano Visintin, Italy

Graziano Visintin is listed as an Italian finalist, a reminder that Europe’s craft practices, from metal to glass and bookbinding, remain central to Loewe’s curatorial lens. He sits among 30 makers chosen from more than 5,100 submissions across 133 countries and regions.

11. Liam Fleming, anamorphic glass, incalmo technique

Wallpaper calls out Liam Fleming’s anamorphic glass sculpture, made using the traditional Venetian glassblowing technique incalmo, a precise, technically demanding method. Fleming’s glasswork emphasizes how traditional Venetian technique can be bent into contemporary, perception-bending forms on the Prize roster.

12. Finalist from Denmark, one of the 30

One of the 30 finalists represents Denmark, an explicit example given in coverage of the shortlist’s geographic spread. This finalist is part of a group chosen from 5,100+ entries across 133 countries, underscoring the Prize’s ambition to map craft across Northern Europe alongside Asia, Africa and the Americas.

13. Finalist from Norway, one of the 30

A finalist from Norway is named among the examples used to describe the shortlist’s range, contributing to the claim that the 30 finalists hail from 19 countries and regions. Norway’s inclusion reinforces the Prize’s pan-European engagement with contemporary making.

14. Finalist from Sweden, one of the 30

Sweden is cited as another country represented among finalists, placing Scandinavian craft practices into Loewe’s global dialogue. The finalist from Sweden links to the broader shortlist emphasis on materiality, ceramics, textiles and metalwork all factor into the Prize’s cross-disciplinary selection.

15. Finalist from Nigeria, one of the 30

Coverage specifically mentions Nigeria as a country among the finalists, signaling attention to African makers. That representation matters: the shortlist draws from a global pool and explicitly includes voices from Nigeria and Zimbabwe, widening the conversation around sustainable materials and local techniques.

17. Finalist from the U.K., one of the 30

A finalist hails from the U.K., another country cited in coverage as part of the 19 regions represented among the 30 names. The U.K. entry continues the shortlist’s mix of contemporary design, traditional skill, and material experiments.

18. Finalist from Brazil, one of the 30

Brazil appears in the list of countries represented among the finalists, marking Latin America’s place within the Prize’s remit. That finalist is part of an exhibition slated for the National Gallery Singapore, a deliberate choice to stage a global craft conversation in Southeast Asia.

19. Finalist from Haiti, one of the 30

Haiti is mentioned as an example country among finalists, bringing Caribbean craft to the shortlist’s international mix. The 30 names together form a snapshot of global making practices, selected from over 5,100 submissions across 133 countries and regions.

20. Finalist from the United States, one of the 30

Apart from named U.S. participants like Jane Yang‑D’Haene, the U.S. is referenced among examples of finalist origins; American craft is well represented among the 30. The winner will take €50,000 when announced at the award ceremony in Singapore on May 12.

21. Finalist from Italy (additional), one of the 30

Italy is listed through Graziano Visintin and also serves as an example of the countries making up the 19-region shortlist; another Italian finalist rounds out Europe’s strong showing. That European representation sits alongside craft traditions from Asia, Africa and the Americas.

22. Finalist from Belgium (additional), one of the 30

Belgium’s Rayah Wauters is a named finalist and indicates broader Belgian participation; another Belgian finalist is plausible within the 19-country spread cited in coverage. Belgium’s presence reinforces the shortlist’s concentration on fine materials and meticulous handwork.

23. Finalist working in ceramics, one of the 30

Ceramics is explicitly listed among disciplines represented on the shortlist, one finalist (unnamed in the excerpts) is highlighted here as part of that ceramic contingent. The Prize’s catalogue of media includes ceramics, textiles, glass, lacquer, and more, showing a disciplinary breadth.

24. Finalist working in lacquer, one of the 30

Lacquer appears repeatedly in coverage (Nan Wei’s Shippi rework and Coco Sung’s lacquer components), and at least one other unnamed finalist works within lacquer traditions. The shortlist privileges makers who retool lacquer, metal, and textile techniques for contemporary practice.

25. Finalist working in textiles, one of the 30

Textiles (including tapestry, weaving, and contemporary fabric practices) are central to the shortlist: Fadekemi Ogunsanya’s narrative tapestries are one concrete example. Other textile-based finalists are part of the 30, pushing woven storytelling into a global curatorial frame.

26. Finalist working in glass, one of the 30

Glassmaking is explicitly highlighted via Liam Fleming’s incalmo anamorphic sculpture; additional glass-based finalists populate the shortlist too. The Prize’s selection draws on fragile, technical media and positions them in dialogue with furniture, metalwork and jewelry.

27. Finalist in bookbinding or furniture, one of the 30

Galeriemagazine notes bookbinding and furniture among the represented disciplines, so at least one finalist in the 30 specialises in book arts or constructed furnishings. These craft categories complicate the idea of wearable craft by bringing object-making and utility into the same conversation.

28. Finalist included for beadwork or wirework, one of the 30

Coco Sung’s Shadow Kkokdu uses wire and beadwork, and coverage indicates bead and wire techniques appear across the shortlist; at least one other finalist draws on bead or wire construction. These techniques demonstrate how small-scale, meticulous work travels from ritual object to gallery piece.

29. Finalist noted for color and surface experimentation, one of the 30

Several shortlisted works and press images, like colorful wire mesh baskets and technicolor statuettes, point to finalists experimenting with gradient hues and surface sheen. This emphasis on color and finish is a through-line across disciplines, from lacquer and glass to dyed textiles.

30. Finalist as part of Loewe’s global program, the collective picture

Every one of the 30 finalists was selected from more than 5,100 submissions across 133 countries and regions, and together they’ll be shown at the National Gallery Singapore from May 13 to June 14, 2026, with the jury‑selected winner revealed on May 12 and awarded €50,000 (plus two €5,000 special mentions). As Sheila Loewe put it, “The Craft Prize continues to reveal the extraordinary diversity and ambition of contemporary craft. The works shortlisted for the 2026 edition demonstrate how deeply rooted traditions can be reimagined through innovation, skill, and imagination,” a tidy summation of why this particular shortlist feels less like a list and more like a manifesto of material thinking.