On April 10th, the winner of the first edition of the LOEWE Craft Prize was announced at COAM (Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Madrid). The piece ‘Tree of Life 2’ by Ernst Gamperl, born in Germany in 1965, was selected as the winning entry among 26 finalists evaluated by a distinguished jury composed of leading figures from the worlds of design, architecture, journalism and museum curatorship.

Ernst Gamperl, Tree of Life 2 (2016), Germany

The Jury also agreed upon giving two special mentions.

One special mention to Yoshiaki Kojiro: ‘The jury recognised the exercise of research, embracing risk and innovation by mixing materials to achieve a shape that is ultimately a structure of experimentation.’

Yoshiaki Kojiro, Structural Blue (2015), Japan

Another special mention to Artesanías Panikua. The statement from the jury explains: ‘The second special mention is for a piece capable of arousing feelings before one even begins to rationalise it. Apart from its emotional impact, the piece speaks of a collective cultural legacy, demonstrating that craftsmanship with artistic ambition should have no material limits; straw can be just as important as gold.’

Artesanias Panikua, TATA CURIATA (2016), Mexico

All 26 finalists of the LOEWE Craft Prize are being featured in an exhibition held at the COAM in Madrid. Exhibition open from April 11 to May 9, 12:00 to 20:00. More information on loewecraftprize.com. Follow us on instagram @loewefoundation