
Brookfield Craft Award: Meet the Finalists
With the Collect London 2025 Art Fair just around the corner, we are excited to announce that the shortlist for the 2025 Brookfield Properties Craft Award has been unveiled, showcasing the exceptional talents of five makers working across wood, glass, ceramics, and paper. This prestigious award, now in its sixth year, celebrates the finest in contemporary UK craft, shining a spotlight on artists who are pushing boundaries and redefining their craft.
In partnership with the Crafts Council, Brookfield Properties has selected the finalists from over 400 artists exhibiting at Collect 2025. The shortlist reflects a range of disciplines, with each maker excelling in skill, material understanding, and creative ambition.
The 2025 Finalists are:
Alan Meredith (Cavaliero Finn)
A wood artist whose work bridges craft, sculpture, and architecture. Meredith’s innovative process-driven approach transforms wood into intricate sculptural forms, exploring its natural properties to create everything from furniture to intricate vessels. His pieces are also featured in the upcoming Irish Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.
Chris Day (Vessel Gallery)
Chris uses traditional glassblowing techniques and mixed media to tell powerful stories about the Black experience in Britain and the US. His pieces, often incorporating copper woven around glass, are raw, emotional, and thought-provoking. Despite being a relatively new name in the glass world, Chris’ works are already held in major collections including the V&A and Stourbridge Glass Museum.
Ebony Russell (Cynthia Corbett Gallery)
Specialising in porcelain, Russell "pipes" soft porcelain to create intricate, lace-like pieces that challenge traditional notions of decorative craft by merging aesthetics with structure. Her work explores gendered narratives and aesthetics, and have been exhibited internationally, including at Venice's Homer Faber 2024.
Isobel Napier (Flow Gallery)
Blending natural materials with modern techniques, Napier’s works in wood and paper evoke the delicate fluidity of textiles. Her innovative designs, created through laser cutting and milling, transform solid materials into ephemeral forms. Her work feels fragile yet strong, finding balance between the organic and the industrial.
Valéria Nascimento (jaggedart)
Valéria creates stunning large-scale porcelain installations inspired by nature. Hailing from Brazil, Nascimento's work reflects harmony between urban structures and natural forms with architectural precision. You might recognise her work from collaborations with top luxury brands such as Chanel, Dior, and Tiffany's.
The winner will be announced on February 26, 2025, during a private ceremony at the opening night of Collect 2025. The prize includes acquisition of selected works from the winner by Brookfield Properties for its corporate collection, and the hosting of a solo exhibition in collaboration with the Crafts Council. The exhibition will span two key locations: 99 Bishopsgate and 30 Fenchurch Street in London. Additionally, the winner's works will be added to the Crafts Council's national collection, ensuring their legacy for future generations.
This year's finalists reflect how exciting and diverse contemporary craft practices are right now, from addressing historical narratives to pushing the boundaries of form and material. Saff Williams, Curatorial Director at Brookfield Properties, praised the finalists, stating, "These works highlight why the UK continues to lead in contemporary craft. We are proud to support such innovative artists and bring their stories to life through our partnership with the Crafts Council."
If you're as curious about the work as we are, you can view and experience all shortlisted works at Collect 2025, with over 40 galleries from around the world showcasing cutting-edge craft and design.
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For more information, please visit:
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Photo Credits:
Alan Meredith credit: Roland Paschhoff, Chris Day credit: Angus Mackay, Ebony Russell credit: Hande Renshaw, Valeria Nascimento credit: Alun Callender, Isobel Napier credit: Isobel Napier.