The Loewe Foundation has announced the list of 30 finalists for the ‘2026 Loewe Craft Prize.’ Among more than 5,100 submissions by artists representing 133 countries and regions, six Korean artists have been selected, once again demonstrating the international standing of Korean craft.
 
Established in 2016, the Loewe Craft Prize was created to honor and continue the house’s long-standing commitment to craftsmanship, rooted in Loewe’s origins as a leather workshop founded in 1846. Now marking its 11th edition, the prize highlights works that reinterpret traditional craft techniques through innovative and individual approaches, while playing a significant role in redefining the place of craft within contemporary artistic discourse.

The six Korean finalists this year—Soohyun Chou, Jong In Lee, Somyeong Lee, Jieun Park, Jongjin Park, and Coco Sung—have each drawn attention for reinterpreting contemporary craft through their distinct artistic approaches.
 
Soohyun Chou (b. 1978) focuses on the physical properties and surface qualities of metal by developing and employing a modular mold casting technique of her own invention. By dividing and recombining forms, she creates sculptural compositions that emphasize structural variation. The three bronze works submitted for the prize combine two different molds, resulting in sculptural experiments that generate layered and shifting visual perspectives.
 
Furniture artist Jong In Lee (b. 1993) grounds his practice in balancing functional universality with aesthetic refinement. His submitted work is a sculptural bench inspired by ‘Baeheullim’, the subtle swelling found in traditional Korean architectural columns. Preserving the natural texture of wood while introducing structural experimentation, the piece achieves a visually harmonious balance between tradition and contemporary design.

Somyeong Lee (b. 1997) presented works centered on steam-bent wood, combined with materials such as natural pigments and metal. By bending, weaving, and binding slender oak elements, Lee constructs forms that metaphorically express the structure of life through processes of accumulation and interconnection.
 
Jieun Park (b. 1980) introduced works grounded in the natural rhythm of expansion and contraction. Composed of thousands of hand-crafted sterling silver fragments woven into a dense structure, the resulting form resembles a seed, revealing qualities of resilience and flexibility, as well as the latent potential for outward growth from within.

Ceramic artist Jongjin Park (b. 1982) combines the disciplinary rigor of craft with a conceptual approach to collectible design. His featured work, structured as a twisted linear seat, builds ceramic volume through a process of layered accumulation. The distortions that emerge during this process result in irregular, hollow forms, reflecting the artist’s interest in material instability while capturing the tension between control and collapse.
 
Lastly, Coco Sung (b. 1979), whose practice engages the intersection of fine art and craft, creates objects that connect tradition and contemporaneity by combining cultural symbolism with personal reflection, while exploring the possibilities of wearable art. The work presented for this award is a series of upright, hand-crafted figurative forms made from various materials, symbolizing the Korean traditional funerary ‘kkokdu’—wooden figures believed to guide the soul at the threshold between life and death.
 
The works of the 30 finalists, including these Korean artists, will be exhibited at the National Gallery Singapore from May 13 to June 14. The final winner will be announced on May 12.

References

• 로에베 재단, 2026 로에베 공예상 (Loewe Foundation, 2026 Loewe Craft Prize)
• 노블레스, 로에베, 2026 재단 공예상 최종 후보 발표, 2026.02.23