An exhibition of works by the 29 finalist artists of the LOEWE Craft Prize 2019, now in its third year and organized by the LOEWE Foundation and LOEWE Creative Director Jonathan Anderson, will be held at the Sogetsu Kaikan in Akasaka, Tokyo, from June 26th to July 22nd.

The LOEWE Craft Prize was established by the LOEWE Foundation in 2016 with the aim of honoring excellence, artistic value, and innovation in contemporary craftsmanship. All 29 finalists were selected by a committee of nine experts from over 2,500 submissions, a 44% increase from the previous year. Ten of the nominees were Japanese, the highest number ever.


Delos Weber, USA "Geisha Handbag Series" Granite, soot bamboo, rattan, pigment, variable dimensions, 2016

Masanori Nishikawa, Japan "Form of the wind" Lacquer, linen fabric, Japanese paper, tin powder, platinum powder, 240 x 520 x 850 mm 2018

The finalists' works will be exhibited in Isamu Noguchi's rock garden "Tengoku" on the first floor of the Sogetsu Kaikan, which was designed by Kenzo Tange and completed in 1977. The winner of the Loewe Craft Prize 2019 will be announced at the opening event on June 26th, the first day of the exhibition. The winner will receive 50,000 euros.

The jury consists of 11 members, including Jonathan Anderson, Naoto Fukasawa, architect and industrial designer Patricia Urquiola, essayist and London Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic, and Jennifer Lee, winner of the second Loewe Craft Prize.

Anats Zabarbeascoa, chairman of the Loewe Craft Prize judging committee, commented on the selection process, "In the future, when contemporary craft becomes a common topic of discussion, the Loewe Foundation's Craft Prize will define that skill and level, and serve as a benchmark for craft artists. The third Loewe Craft Prize exhibition will demonstrate international-level contemporary craft and what the Loewe Foundation considers to be craft."