Eriko Inazaki

Every year, the foundation of the Spanish design house, Loewe, presents a prize that celebrates artists who make a difference in the world of design, and an impact on design, art, and culture. The intention of the Loewe Craft Prize is to shine a light on often unrecognized makers.

This year, the foundation selected the Japanese sculptor, Eriko Inazaki, from more than 2,700 applicants. Inazaki’s piece is a ceramic sculpture (courtesy of an article by Jenna Adrian-Diaz for Surface Magazine) “whose crystallized surface evokes an extraterrestrial floral bloom, was described by the jury as virtuosic and lauded for its ‘spellbinding presence.'”

Until 2017, Inazaki was relatively unknown; that changed when her work was included in a craftsmanship exhibition that toured throughout Japan. Considering herself both a ceramic artist and a sculptor, Inazaki studied sculpture at Tokyo’s Musashino Art University; she followed that degree with an MFA in ceramics from Kyoto City University of Arts.

Inazaki’s amazing sculptures are made in a painstaking fashion; she delicately rolls and pinches tiny pieces of clay and connects them to one another. The results are organic, often biological-looking pieces that resemble something you would see under a microscope.

Usually white, Inzaki’s intricate forms are assembled over one another in order to create multiple layers. This technique is rare in ceramics, and certainly untraditional. However this is Inazaki’s hope… to push the boundaries beyond what is expected.

The work, essentially an orb encased in delicate flower-like extensions, appears fragile and took over a year to create. The artist’s deliberate process necessitated working with a continuously running humidifier so that the individual pieces would not dry out while she worked.

Fittingly, this year’s ceremony was held in the Noguchi Museum’s serene garden. Fran Lebowitz presented the prize to the Japanese artist, who cried as she accepted the award… she says it all felt like a dream that she never expected to come true. In an emotional speech, Inazaki said, “I’m not clear about naming my works, whether it’s art, craft or something else. But I’ve been working all this time with the belief that what is a good piece of work goes beyond the boundaries of categories. This was an opportunity for me to realize that my work would resonate with so many people. It is truly an honor, and I am truly happy.”

As for the judges, their praise referred back to Inazaki’s (courtesy of Surface Magazine) “originality of ornamentation;” many of the jurors asserted that this piece was unlike anything they had ever seen before.

Quite appropriately, the work of all thirty finalists was displayed in totality at a public exhibition at Isamu Noguchi’s former studio in Queens, New York. The museum’s curator of research, Matthew Kirsch told Vogue, “He hated what he called ‘the false horizon of the pedestal,’ and wanted to bring sculpture into everyday life.”

Anderson said, “Craft is the essence of Loewe.” Indeed in selecting Inazaki, the luxury design house’s foundation showed that they remain committed to recognizing the beauty of skilled artists worldwide!