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craft, reimagined | winner of the loewe craft prize revealed

In a global panorama which is ever focused on the speed of technology and the acceleration of global interrelations, the world of craft is a breath of respite that hones in on a quality that defines us as humans: the ability to create, to form, to craft with our hands. Exploring the world of craft, the LOEWE Foundation continues to hold its annual Craft Prize, with a focus on artists, artisans and creators the world over, whose practices are based on craft. Yesterday evening in Madrid, LOEWE named Japanese artist Kunimasa Aoki the winner of its 2025 Craft Prize, with Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar presenting the final prize. Aoki was awarded the prize for his work Realm of Living Things 19 – a discreetly monumental piece, that bridges ancient Japanese ceramic traditions with an almost alien organicism. With thousands of applicants for the prize, Aoki was selected from 30 global finalists by a jury comprising key figures from the worlds of design, architecture, and curatorship.

  

Two special mentions were also granted: Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello was recognised for TM Bench with Bowl, a sculptural bench cast from reclaimed car-industry aluminium. With a commentary on power and production, and the differentiation of design in the Northern hemisphere, the sculpture channelled Marcus-Bello’s heritage into a poetic piece of design.

Another special mention was attributed to Monument – an tapestry (of sorts) created by Indian collective Studio Sumakshi Singh, which was a copper zari threaded while held together by water-soluble fabric. What remains once the cloth dissolved is a delicate form, stripped back to its core: delicate, precise, and vibrant with the memory of cultural traditions gone by.

In true LOEWE form, this year’s Craft Prize reminds us that craft is at the intersection of heritage and innovation – the act of creating through our hands is a continual reinterpretation, dissolution, and reconstruction of our cultures.

Discover more about the LOEWE Craft Prize finalists here.

words. Patrick Clark
photographs. Courtesy of LOEWE Foundation