February 24, 2026 |
Feeling a bit snowed under with fashion month frenzy? How about some nice art news to sink your teeth into? The finalists for this year’s Loewe Foundation Craft Prize have been unveiled. Due to take place May 12, the winner (who will receive €50,000) and two special mentions (each getting €5,000) will be revealed at the National Gallery Singapore, where the works of the 2026 shortlist will be exhibited until June 14.
The 30 artists who make this year’s cohort have been selected from over 5,100 submissions. This year’s iteration marks a decade since the Craft Prize first launched, which has been committed to uplifting artists and celebrating craft on a global scale (the finalists here come from 19 different countries). There’s Berlin-based Coco Sung, who makes wearable works that look as if they were born from a child’s daydream. Also selected are Zimbabwean ceramicist Xanthe Somers, who makes weaved wonders in vivid hues and Japanese artist Ayano Yoshizumi, who will present an otherworldly work made from glass.
from left: Adekemi Ogunsanya, Coco Sung
“The Craft Prize continues to reveal the extraordinary diversity and ambition of contemporary craft,” says Sheila Loewe, president of the Loewe Foundation. “The works shortlisted for the 2026 edition demonstrate how deeply rooted traditions can be reimagined through innovation, skill and imagination. Bringing this exhibition to Singapore reflects the global dialogue at the heart of the Prize and our ongoing commitment to supporting artists at pivotal moments in their careers.”
This is the first Prize since Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez joined the house as creative directors. The duo will sit on the judging jury alongside the likes of lauded ceramicist Magdalene Odundo, architect Frida Escobedo and Kunimasa Aoki, who won last year’s Prize in Madrid with his layered sculpture dubbed Realm of Living Things 19. What thrilling works will this year’s ceremony treat us with? Art heads, put May 12 in your cals!
The Loewe Foundation Craft Prize takes place May 13 to June 14, 2026 at the National Gallery Singapore.
Photography courtesy of Loewe Foundation. Top image is the work of Jieun Park.
from left: Ayano Yoshizumi, Xanthe Somers
