Seoul-based artist Jongjin Park has won the 2026 Loewe Craft Prize for his sculpture "Strata of Illusion," which combines paper towels dipped in watered-down ceramic slip and fired in a kiln. The work features folded, layered sheets that create a rectangular, slouching form, challenging traditional ceramics by using paper as a primary material. Park overcame technical and ethical challenges by using recycled paper from milk cartons and specialized kilns to manage exhaust, redefining the pre-fired state as "flexible" rather than fragile.
This award matters because it highlights a groundbreaking fusion of paper and ceramics, pushing the boundaries of a medium typically associated with clay. Park's innovative approach, which draws on the visual tension between thinness and density, flexibility and rigidity, offers new possibilities for ceramic art. His recognition by the Loewe Craft Prize, a prestigious annual award, underscores the growing importance of experimental materials and conceptual depth in contemporary craft.