Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2025 winner announced as exhibition opens

Japanese ceramicist Kunimasa Aoki has won the €50,000 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2025 for his terracotta work *Realm of Living Things 19*, which the jury praised for its risk-taking firing process. The piece, made from thin coils of clay stacked and compressed, was fired in an electric kiln until it began to smoke, then finished with soil, glue, and pencil marks. Two special mentions were awarded: one to Nifemi Marcus-Bello for a recycled aluminum bench with bowl, and another to an unnamed artist. The prize is part of an exhibition of 30 shortlisted works at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid, running until June 30.