Jongjin Park won the 2026 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize and €50,000 for his work "Strata of Illusion, 2025," which combines glassblowing and bookbinding techniques using porcelain-coated paper layers. The ceremony took place at the National Gallery Singapore, with a jury led by Loewe's new creative directors Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, alongside architects Minsuk Cho, Frida Escobedo, Wang Shu, and Patricia Urquiola. Special mentions went to Graziano Visintin for his necklace "Collier" and a collaborative piece by Baba Tree Master Weavers and Álvaro Catalán de Ocón. The exhibition of 30 finalists, selected from over 5,100 applicants across 133 countries, runs at the National Gallery Singapore through June 14.
This year's prize underscores the growing mainstream embrace of craft, as mending workshops and basketweaving circles proliferate alongside art fairs featuring fiber, ceramic, and glass works. The Loewe Prize stands out for its depth of expertise, showcasing how singular works rooted in local traditions share a dedicated rhythm across generations. The award also highlights Singapore's rising importance in global design discourse, following past hosts like the Palais de Tokyo and the Design Museum. The broader craft movement, supported by repatriation efforts and the soft power of design from geopolitically vulnerable regions, signals a cultural shift toward valuing skilled human hands and artistic risk-taking.