Officine Saffi Award 2

Officine Saffi Award was created through the enthusiasm of Officine Saffi, with its many years of experience. The Group has the mission of promoting awareness of art and design ceramics amongst the general public, encouraging its development, collection, use and production in all its forms. 

The international jury comprised Alberto Biagetti (Museo del Design 1880-1980), Laura Borghi (gallery owner, Officine Saffi, Milan, creator and promoter of the Prize), Carlotta De Bevilacqua (architect, designer, Vice President of Artemide and President of Danese Milano), Mette Blum Marcher (director of Guldagergaard), Paolo Dell'Elce (designer specializing in products, furnishing and lighting), Flaminio Gualdoni (art professor and critic), Franco Marrocco (director of the Brera Academy of Fine Arts), Shozo Michikawa (artist) and Kristina Riska (artist). The jury awarded the first prize for the two categories, both 5,000 euro, to Frank Louis (Germany, 1973) for the Art category, and Andrea Walsh (UK, 1974) for the Design category. 

In addition to the first prizes for the two categories, three Artist's Residencies were awarded: Serena Zanardi (Italy, 1978) will go to Japan for ICAF (International Ceramic Art Festival in Sasama); Lut Laleman (Belgium, 1958) will go to Guldagergaard in Denmark; Enrica Casentini (Italy, 1982) will go to Studio Amfora in Seinäjoki, Finland.  The winners of the two awards for Production were Michela Benedan (Italy, 1988) with FABLAB Milan, and Louisa Zahareas (Greece, 1987) with the Carlo Zauli Museum in Faenza. The prize for people aged under 30, awarded by the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, went to Ahryun Lee (Korea, 1989). Heidi Jalkh (Colombia, 1986) won the Solo Show Prize offered by Museo del Design 1880-1980, Milan. The Special Prize of 500 euro offered by Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte was awarded to Rafael Pérez (Spain, 1957). Lastly, La Ceramica in Italia e nel mondo, the magazine published by Officine Saffi, awarded two special mentions for Ken Eastman (UK, 1960) and for Charlotte Thorup (Denmark, 1973), and it will publish a special catalogue section dedicated to the Open to ArtPrize, with details on the finalists' artistic development and their work.

The finalists

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Art Section:

Baek Kyung Won (KR)
Benedan Michela (IT)
Bingham Anna (UK)
Bittl Petra (DE)
Bosevski Lidia (HR)
Casentini Enrica (IT)
Cooper Robert (UK)
Eastman Ken (UK)
Fløche Anne (DK)
Gardiner Emily (UK)
Huang Hua-Chen (TW)
Jalkh Heidi (CO)
Laleman Lut (BE)
Louis Frank (DE)
Onozawa Koichi (JP)
Pérez Rafael (ES)
Razumovskaya Irina (RU)
Taruta Hiroshi (JP)
Thorup Charlotte (DK)
Walsh Andrea (UK)
Zanardi Serena (IT) 

Design Section:

Enjalbert Sylvie (FR)
Lee Ahryun (KR)
Lirhus Falke Svatun (NO)
O'Rorke Margaret (UK)
Paronetto Paola (IT)
Sironi Roberto (IT)
Turkoglu Erin (US)
Venables Prue (UK)
Zahareas Louisa (GR)

The event is staged in cooperation with:
Main Sponsor: Banca Euromobiliare
Media Partner: Espoarte
Partner: Amfora, Artemide, Accademia delle Belle Arti di Brera, Celeste, Danese Milano, Design & Crafts Council Ireland, Fablab, Guldagergaard, Sasama ICAF, mad'in Europa, Museo Carlo Zauli, Seinajoki

With the Patronage of Comune di Milano, Fondazione Cologni Mestieri d'Arte and Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche.