The Modest Man
LOEWE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2023 CRAFT PRIZE WINNER
The Loewe Foundation has chosen Eriko Inazaki, an artist from Takamatsu, Japan, as the winner of its 2023 craft prize. The prize celebrates excellence, artistic merit, and newness in modern craftsmanship, as well as recognizing the importance of craft in today’s culture. A distinguished jury, including Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson, selected Inazaki from 30 finalists representing work across a range of mediums. Inazaki was awarded for her intricate ceramic sculpture Metanoia, 2019, which features an accumulation of miniscule forms that coalesce across the work’s crystallized surface.
SELECTION OF WORKS DISPLAYED
This year’s edition of the craft prize focuses on works that explore meditative, time-intensive techniques and demonstrate skilful manipulation of materials. Alongside Inazaki’s work, special mentions were given to Dominique Zinkpè for his work The Watchers, 2022, and Moe Watanabe for her work Transfer Surface, 2022. The shortlisted works will be exhibited in Isamu Noguchi’s Studio at The Noguchi Museum in New York until June 18, 2023. The exhibition will also be available to view online and will be documented through an exhibition catalog containing each of the finalists’ pieces. This is a beautiful opportunity for visitors to appreciate the work of talented artists and emerging trends in craftsmanship.
THE LOEWE FOUNDATION CRAFT PRIZE
The Loewe Foundation Crafts Prize was established in 2016 to acknowledge the importance of craft in today’s culture and to recognize artists working to set a new standard for the future. Each year, the foundation hosts a competition that invites budding artists to send in submissions representing mediums across the craft spectrum, including ceramics, woodwork, textiles, leather, glass, metal, jewellery, and lacquer. The jury consists of leading experts and influential figures in the art and craft world who are tasked with selecting the winner from a pool of thirty finalists.
ERIKO INAZAKI
Eriko Inazaki is an artist from Takamatsu, Japan. She is the winner of the 2023 Loewe Foundation Crafts Prize for her ceramic sculpture Metanoia, which features tightly amassed miniature forms that create a tactile, crystallized surface. Her work demonstrates a mastery of ceramics and an innovative approach that pushes the boundaries of her medium. Inazaki’s work pushes the limits of what is possible with ceramics, and it is an excellent representation of what the Craft Prize hopes to showcase each year, artists who are doing something daring and unique in their field.
CONCLUSION
The Loewe Foundation Crafts Prize has become a leading platform for emerging craft artists across the globe. The foundation aims to recognize excellence, innovation, and a sense of tradition in contemporary craft, offering artists the chance to showcase their talent to a global audience. The award is a welcome opportunity for artists and craft makers to demonstrate their acquired skill, knowledge, and creativity while competing to be crowned the winner of one of the world’s most prestigious and coveted art prizes.
