Mexican-born Andrés Anza has been announced as the 2024 LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize winner. Anza was chosen from a selection of 30 finalists for his 2023 piece “I only know what I have seen”. The decision was made by a jury of leading figures including Magdalene Odundo, Minsuk Cho, Olivier Gabet and Abraham Thomas — who each come from various industries including design, architecture, journalism, and museum curatorship. This year’s LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize presented a selection of works that featured organic and biomorphic forms that “push materials to their physical limits”. This saw many of the works crafted from repurposed and recycled materials with a focus on the “elevation” and “transformation” of the everyday.

Why did Andrés Anza Win?

“I only know what I have seen” is a life-size ceramic sculpture. The display’s anthropomorphic form is comprised of thousands of individual ceramic protrusions or tiny spikes that make up five puzzle pieces, which have been assembled with an almost architectural intention and precision. Described as an “arresting and almost human presence in the exhibition,” the jury noted that Anza’s work “defies time and cultural context”, drawing upon ancient, archaeological forms but also tracing a post-digital aesthetic that sees ceramics absorbing the most defining influences of our time.

Who is Andrés Anza?

33-year-old Andrés Anza received a BA from the University of Monterrey in 2014. He then went on to present solo exhibitions at Rome’s Galería Anna Marra; San Pedro’s Galería Casa Gotxikoa and Centro Cultural Plaza Fátima, and Mexico City’s Galería Obra Negra. Anza has also participated in group exhibitions across Mexico, Italy, Denmark and the United States. His ceramic work was included in the 2015 Emerging Art Biennial in Monterrey, where he won the “Encouragement to Create” award. In 2016, he also received an honourable mention for his contribution to the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Biennial.

Special Mentions & Craft Contributions

Three special mentions were also awarded to Japan’s Miki Asai for “Still Life”, France’s emmanuel boos for “Coffee Table ‘Comme un lego’” and Republic of Korea’s Heechan Kim for “#16”. “Still Life” is a piece formed by three sculptural rings made using lacquer and eggshell techniques which the jury described as an unexpected combination of intricacy and monumentality. “Coffee Table ‘Comme un lego’” is a coffee table, crafted using 98 hollow porcelain bricks that aimed to disrupt expectations around utilitarian objects. “#16” saw Heechan Kim use a traditional boat-making technique, with ash and copper wire to create an architectural design that allows the viewer’s gaze to travel through the inner and outer space of the vessel’s chamber.

The shortlisted artists also get special recognition for their important contributions to the development of contemporary craft which spans across ceramics, jewellery, textiles, woodwork, glass, metalwork, furniture, papercraft and lacquer, something the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2024 recognises. The 30 finalists were selected in February 2024 and represent 16 countries and regions from around the world and their entries were chosen from more than 3,900 submissions by artisans representing 124 countries and regions. The Prize functions as a multigenerational snapshot of the utmost excellence in craft today.

What is the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize?

Conceived by LOEWE creative director Jonathan Anderson in 2016, the international annual LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize showcases and celebrates newness, excellence and artistic merit in modern craftsmanship. The Prize functions as a multigenerational snapshot of the “utmost excellence in craft today” and aims to acknowledge working artisans whose talent and vision set a standard for the future of craftsmanship. The incentive for the prize was inspired by LOEWE’s beginnings as a collective craft workshop in 1846, reflecting fashion’s vital link to culture and the importance of advanced, specialised knowledge to the field. Art, craft and design remain fundamental cornerstones to the house’s present chapter.

For art enthusiasts — any professional artisan aged over 18 can apply for the award, with the sole requirement that the submitted work combines an innovative application of its craft with an original artistic concept.

All 30 of the finalists’ works will be exhibited at Palais de Tokyo in Paris from 15 May until 9 June 2024.

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