Contemporary glass artists reach final of Loewe Foundation Craft Prize

Three glass artists are among the 30 finalists for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2023.

UK-based Keeryong Choi’s cast glass boxes ‘Daam Dah 2022’ (main image) comprise glass and 23.5 carat gold. As a South Korean artist based in Scotland, Keeryong’s work is informed by his investigations into the similarities and cultural differences that people experience in relation to the objects around us and in contrast to where they live.

These opaque glass vessels compound expectations by combining both Korean and British sensibilities, resulting in a work that feels familiar yet refuses to be placed. He created the work to speak to his experience of moving from Korea to the UK, his nostalgia for home and to challenge the notion of cultural authenticity. The vessels were created using 3D modelling software and 3D printing. By using small, frit-size glass and skipping bubble soaking during the firing process, small cavities were deliberately created on the surface. These are often regarded as an imperfection in glass making. The cavities were then inlaid with gold leaf, contrasting with the vessels’ glossy surface, to evoke a celestial starry sky and to celebrate the imperfections and beauty of these unique objects.

Danish artist Lene Bødker’s entry is ‘Worthy; Walking Stone; Slice of Something Bigger’.

These glass sculptures express a close relationship with nature and reference the interconnectivity between evolution and natural features of the landscape. The works have been created using a lost wax technique and cast with a carefully planned and controlled use of colour to create differing levels of opacity throughout. This manipulation of light is further explored by creating contrasting matt and smooth areas across the surface of the works, by using several different hand finishing techniques, including grinding, chiselling and polishing, to create a tactile, nodular, texture that demonstrates the artistic possibilities of glass.

Maki Imoto from Japan created ‘Torus of Powdered’ from powdered glass and a piece of transparent glass.

This large, yet fragile, work explores the limits of glass. Created using a torus-shaped plaster mould filled with powdered glass and then fired in the kiln, the resulting work is thin and hollow with areas of cracking, shrinking and dripping on its surface. These material transformations are a visual trace of heat as it emerges and transforms the glass, a process that must be carefully controlled to prevent the brittle structure from breaking.

All the finalists’ work will be exhibited in New York, with the winning entry receiving a 50,000 euro prize. The winner will be announced in spring 2023.

Find out more about the Loewe Craft Prize and all the finalists here.