Since Jonathan Anderson founded the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in 2016, the award has revitalised conversations around the art of craft. When it began, Anderson stated that “craft is the essence of Loewe. As a house, we are about craft in the purest sense of the word. That is where our modernity lies, and it will always be relevant.”

For its eighth year, 30 artists have been shortlisted from a submissions process that saw 3,900 entries from 124 countries and regions. The finalists, representing sixteen countries and regions, work across a range of mediums including ceramics, woodwork, textiles, furniture, paper, basketry, glass, metal, jewellery, lacquer and leather.

The United Kingdom has two representatives on the shortlist – Ken Eastman and Kevin Grey.

Ken Eastman, b. 1960, is based in Herefordshire and has won numerous awards in the field of ceramic arts. His works are held in the V&A collection and at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.

Kevin Grey, b. 1967, is based in Birmingham and is a metalwork artist. Blending traditional metalworking techniques such as blocking, planishing and raising with new technologies such as laser and TIG welding, Grey has exhibited work at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris and is in the collection of the National Museum Cardiff.

The works selected for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize shortlist will go on display at Palais de Tokyo in Paris from May 15th to June 9th, 2024. A jury composed of 12 leading figures from the world of design, architecture, journalism, criticism, and museum curatorship will select the winner of the 2024 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize. The winner will be awarded €50,000 and the announcement will be made on May 14th at the opening of the exhibition at Palais de Tokyo.