PARIS — South Korean ceramic artist Jongjin Park scooped up the 2026 Loewe Craft Prize at an award ceremony in Singapore on Tuesday.
Selected from 30 shortlisted works that will be on display until June 14 at the National Gallery Singapore, his “Strata of Illusion” sculpture “explores the tension between control and collapse” through layered sheets of paper coated in colored porcelain slip. The paper burns away when fired in the kiln, leaving a structure that slumps and distorts under the effects of heat and gravity.
The jury, which includes the LVMH-owned Spanish luxury house’s artistic directors Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, said it was “fascinated by the poetry of the paper disappearing in the firing process, and the honest imperfection of the slumping form.”
“Strata of Illusion” by Jongjin Park.
Courtesy of Loewe
It chose Park’s work “for its ability to confound expectations of what ceramics can be, revealing a sculptural presence that is at once unexpected and purposeful,” the brand said in a statement. “Although rooted in porcelain, it speaks to multiple craft traditions: the use of air to establish form evokes glassblowing, while the layering of paper gestures at bookbinding. The work resists a singular material reading.”
Born in 1982, Park holds a master of arts in ceramics from Cardiff Metropolitan University in the U.K. and a PhD in ceramics from Seoul’s Kookmin University. In addition to his artistic practice, he is an assistant professor at Seoul Women’s University.
In addition to his Craft Prize, which comes with a 50,000-euro cash prize, he was previously awarded the Excellence Prize at the 2024 Gyeonggi International Ceramic Competition in Yeoju, South Korea. His work has been exhibited internationally at fairs such as Design Miami and PAD London Art+Design.
The Loewe Craft Prize also announced two special mentions, each with a 5,000-euro purse.
One went to the Baba Tree Master Weavers, a collective composed of Mary Anaba, Charity Aveamah Atuah, Christiana Anaba Akolpoka, Asakiloro Aduko, Mary Ayinbogra, Teni Ayine, Subolo Ayine and Punka Joe, and Spanish designer Álvaro Catalán de Ocón for the large-scale communal “Frafra Tapestry.”
“Frafra Tapestry” by Baba Tree Master Weavers x Álvaro Catalán de Ocón
Courtesy of Loewe
Italy’s Graziano Visintin impressed with “Collier,” two necklaces composed of tiny cubes built from thin sheets of gold and decorated using niello, an ancient metalworking technique.
All three were selected from the year’s 5,100 submissions hailing from 133 countries and regions, and from a shortlist spanning 20 areas and a range of mediums including ceramics, woodwork, textiles, furniture, bookbinding, glass, metal, jewelry and lacquer.
Sheila Loewe, president of the Loewe Foundation and a member of the jury, said the ninth edition had been “one of the hardest to judge and provided the jury with the opportunity to discuss the far reaches of what craft can be – and will be in the future.”
“Collier” by Graziano Visintin
Courtesy of Loewe
Meanwhile, McCollough and Hernandez said they “encountered an extraordinary sense of commitment, creativity, and innovation” in the shortlisted works. “Together, they stand as a powerful testament to the enduring possibilities of making,” they said.
Established in 2016 by Loewe’s former creative director Jonathan Anderson “to acknowledge the importance of craft in today’s culture,” the annual prize also pays tribute to Loewe’s roots as a Madrid-based leather-making collective and supplier to the Spanish royal crown.
