Name of finalist: Afsaneh Modiramani
Country of entry: Iran
Name of work: 'A Little Space to Live'
Category: Textiles
Materials: Cotton, wool and silk

This duet of handwoven tapestries creates a subtle narrative by means of cotton, wool and silk. The work takes its title from a poem by Ahmad Shamlou that explores ideas of peace and refuge. ‘A Little Space to Live’ depicts the few trees that punctuate Tehran’s cityscape, loosely sewn in silk against a conversely cold, geometric background woven from cotton and wool.

Name of finalist: Anthony Marsh
Country of entry: United States
Name of work: 'Like water uphill (from Crucible series)'
Category: Ceramics
Materials: Earthenware, porcelain clay and ceramic glaze

This distinctive cylindrical vessel embodies the spirit of alchemy and alludes to geographical phenomena. Marsh’s highly experimental process favours unpredictable results, exposing the topographical surface possibilities of the ceramic material and creating sublime shades of blue. This work is comprised of multiple layers of clay and glaze and is submitted to repeated, upside-down firings at high temperatures.

Name of finalist: Bodil Manz
Country of entry: Denmark
Name of work: 'Fence'
Category: Ceramics
Materials: Porcelain

So paper-thin they are nearly transparent, this group of porcelain vessels appears at once delicate and strong. The cylinder form is unusual in such fine porcelain, creating a superb tension of form and material. Geometric patterns on the interior and exterior walls of each vessel answer one another through the translucency of the material, creating narratives alluding to the ‘fence’ of the title.

Name of finalist: Carla Garcia Durlan
Country of entry: Spain
Name of work: 'Habits of the Blindness'
Category: Jewellery
Materials: Old fabrics, wood, acrylic and acrylic paint

Echoing the Arte Povera tradition, these ornamental pieces of jewellery are made from found fabrics and wood which are assembled intuitively into unexpected and graphic combinations. Through her work, Garcia Durlan seeks to expose society’s blindness to the transformative possibilities of waste materials by revealing the forgotten narratives and aesthetic power of these discarded items.

Name of finalist: Darshana Raja
Country of entry: Kenya
Name of work: 'Whole Hole'
Category: Wood
Materials: Mvuli wood, rubber and stainless steel

This bold and dynamic sculpture, made from mvuli wood offcuts, is assembled in a precise and controlled mathematical configuration. Straight, wooden sticks are transformed into beautiful curves, creating a sunlike and transient presence that is a result of Raja’s rhythmic and elegant arrangement. Raja incorporates the Japanese method of shou sugi ban to treat the wood’s surface, adding depth to the material.

Name of finalist: David Corvalán
Country of entry: Chile
Name of work: 'Desértico II'
Category: Other
Materials: Copper wire and epoxy resin

A statement against the abuses of industrial copper mining in the Atacama Desert in Chile, this geomorphic sculpture, made from copper wire and resin, captures the brightness, colour and fragility of this ancestral environment. Corvalán allows the object to grow organically, affixing individual strands of copper wire together in an act of reverence for the abused element.

Name of finalist: Despo Sophocleous
Country of entry: Canada
Name of work: 'Echoes'
Category: Jewellery
Materials: Cherry, ash, walnut, graphite, ink and cotton

This series of necklaces explores the relationship between memory and permanency. Made from cherry, walnut and ash, each necklace is composed of several interlocking elements which form one movable unit. The hollow, movable spaces create sound when worn on the body. The wood grain, embedded with its own history, is marked with traces of graphite and ink left behind during the working process.

Name of finalist: Edu Tarín
Country of entry: Germany
Name of work: 'G0'
Category: Jewellery
Materials: Malachite, tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli, aluminium and nylon

Tarín mixes traditional stone carving techniques with new technologies for stone cutting to create two exquisite pieces – a pendant and sculptural base – that function together and separately. The hand-carved pendant fits perfectly into its base by means of 3D scans and engraving. This results in an organic, harmonious duo of objects.

Name of finalist: Fanglu Lin
Country of entry: Mainland China
Name of work: 'SHE'
Category: Textiles
Materials: Cloth and wood

Employing the traditional techniques of tie-dyeing from the Bai minority group in Zhoucheng Village, Yunan, China, this immense wall installation was built over three months of repetitive and scrupulous knotting, stitching, folding and pleating of white cloth into intricate patterns. This enveloping, cloud-like structure is Lin’s tribute to the Bai women and their continued use of this labour-intensive 1,000-year-old technique.

Name of finalist: Hyejeong Kim
Country of entry: Republic of Korea
Name of work: 'Carpel: Earth Matters' comprised of 'Sky Matter (Space)' and 'Earth Matter (Speck)'
Category: Ceramics
Materials: Stoneware ceramic

This stoneware bowl and spherical accessory take inspiration from the reproductive system of flowering plants. Petal-like, the bowl is shaped on the wheel then delicately hand-pinched and melded to create a texture reminiscent of coral or decaying foliage. Kim’s tactile method is visible and the striking aquamarine colour adds an additional, majestic element to its grounded form.

Name of finalist: Jack Doherty
Country of entry: Ireland
Name of work: 'Guardian Vessel'
Category: Ceramics
Materials: Porcelain and copper carbonate

This ethereal and potent work is inspired by the archetypal ritualistic vessel. Soda administered to the porcelain during the firing process produces an electric, oceanic palette. The scale of the work, combined with its nuanced surface texture, results in an imposing manipulation of light and shadow.

Name of finalist: Jess Tolbert
Country of entry: United States
Name of work: 'Greater-Than'
Category: Jewellery
Materials: Staples, steel and 14K gold

This brooch made from upcycled staples is a reflection on mass production. Through repetitive actions of layering, patterning and systemically constructing, Tolbert replicates the processes of mass production and reflects on its unknown makers. The resulting piece of jewellery renders unrecognisable a common, utilitarian material.

Name of finalist: Jessica Loughlin
Country of entry: Australia
Name of work: 'Receptor of light IX'
Category: Glass
Materials: Glass

Inspired by the optics of light and sense of space of Australia’s deserts and salt lakes, and concerned with the optics of light, this layered glass formation captures light in its 3D fused form. The object acts as a tabula rasa, capturing and reflecting subtle changes of light throughout the day. Fine molecules in the glass split the surrounding light into cool and warms tones – at first glance these areas may appear white, but on closer inspection shades of colour appear and gradually change as the light shifts throughout the day.

Name of finalist: Jiyong Lee
Country of entry: United States
Name of work: 'Mitosis'
Category: Glass
Materials: Optical glass

The segmented, geometrical forms of this cold-constructed structure are inspired by the process of cellular mitosis. Perfectly fitting parts symbolise the atomic building blocks of life, while the translucency of the glass alludes to mysteries within the life sciences. This unique surface is created through grinding and polishing optical glass.

Name of finalist: Joël Andrianomearisoa
Country of entry: Madagascar
Name of work: 'The Labyrinth of Passions'
Category: Paper
Materials: Silk paper

Inspired by themes of love and loss present in Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis, this large-scale wall sculpture appears almost phantasmal. Strips of black silk paper, laboriously adhered edge-wise, appear to dance and reflect light despite their darkness.

Name of finalist: Kevin Grey
Country of entry: United Kingdom
Name of work: 'Chiral'
Category: Metal
Materials: 958 Britannia silver and gold

Inspired by the scientific and aesthetic concept of chiral, in which a thing is distinguishable from its mirror image, the surface of this vessel resembles the contrasting lines of the makers’ hands. Originally trained in industrial welding, Grey hand-cuts individual strands of silver then welds them together, an unusual process as silver is typically joined by soldering. The resulting vessel is a sublime meditation on the qualities of asymmetry.

Name of finalist: Kohei Ukai
Country of entry: Japan
Name of work: 'Fusion 19-07'
Category: Lacquer
Materials: Urushi lacquer, Japanese linden wood and hemp

This remarkable example of Japanese lacquer work, measuring 2m in length, is made by pouring layer upon layer of urushi lacquer onto a piece of carved Japanese linden wood. This creates a rich and reflective surface coating that appears to melt off the edges, its brilliance a contrast to the dry and textured nature of the wood.

Name of finalist: Kyeok Kim
Country of entry: Republic of Korea
Name of work: 'Second Surface'
Category: Metal
Materials: Copper wire and gold leaf

This large, web-like sculpture is delicately crocheted from copper wire, using metal within a textile technique. Recreating the repetitive patterns of skin at an immense scale, the work alludes to the protective qualities of the skin barrier, as well as its role as a container of memory. It is finished with gold leaf, lending a luminous glow to the overlapping threads.

Name of finalist: Marc Ricourt
Country of entry: France
Name of work: 'Untitled'
Category: Wood
Materials: Wood and paint

These three wooden vessels, turned from locally sourced green wood in Vaux-Saules, France, pay homage to the historic concept of the vessel – a humble, life-carrying object that has been used from ancient times through to the modern day. The pure colour and bulbous shape, combined with the curved verticality of the ridges, create forms that resemble flower pods.

Name of finalist: Naama Haneman
Country of entry: Israel
Name of work: 'Movement'
Category: Metal
Materials: Sterling silver and patina plated brass

The composition of these two vessels echoes Haneman’s interest in the coexistence of chaos and order in nature. Brass and sterling silver are soldered together and the resulting thin sheet is hammered into a contradictory form, which delivers a dialogue between the seen brass of the exterior and unseen silver beneath it.

Name of finalist: Peter Bauhuis
Country of entry: Germany
Name of work: 'Policast'
Category: Metal
Materials: Silver 800, silver 925, fine silver and brass

Fascinated with the possibilities of combining and casting different metals, Bauhuis has created a series of vessels with an almost painterly quality. Breathing new life into one of the oldest techniques in metalwork, he simultaneously pours silver and brass into the mold, allowing the alloys to merge and oxidise in different colours and unruly shapes. The dynamics of the process are frozen at the moment of solidification, creating patterns that appear stratospheric.

Name of finalist: Sukkeun Kang
Country of entry: Republic of Korea
Name of work: 'For: Ottchil Wooden Bowl'
Category: Wood
Materials: Zelkova wood and ottchil lacquer

This refined wooden bowl, carved down to a mere 3mm-thick shell, takes its asymmetrical shape directly from the tree ring of the trunk from which it is carved. In order to overcome the limitations of the wood, he applies the traditional ‘lacquer heat curing method’ to the bowl. Lacquer is a traditional oriental healing agent used in the prevention of atopic skin diseases; this traditional use is mirrored in the way the lacquer protects the wood.

Name of finalist: Sungho Cho
Country of entry: Republic of Korea
Name of work: 'Transition of Traces'
Category: Metal
Materials: Silver 925

This series of exquisite, airy vessels demonstrates new possibilities in casting metal. Thin sheets of silver are cast in a beeswax-lined mold and soldered together. Intricate patterns, stamped into the beeswax, appear etched onto the surface.

Name of finalist: Sungyoul Park
Country of entry: Republic of Korea
Name of work: 'inborn'
Category: Lacquer
Materials: Ottchil (urushi)

This delicate bowl is comprised solely from ottchil lacquer. Thin strips of colourful ottchil are pulled over a clay vessel, which is then removed to create the bowl form. The resulting object – multicoloured and straw-like, with a unique texture and jagged rim – presents an ingenious reinterpretation of a traditional material.

Name of finalist: Takayuki Sakiyama
Country of entry: Japan
Name of work: 'Chōtō: Listening to the Waves'
Category: Ceramics
Materials: Stoneware

Sakiyama has always lived in close proximity to the sea, an endless source of inspiration in his work. The carved and rippling surface pattern of this stoneware vessel beautifully reflects the ebb and flow of the ocean and its currents. The double-walled construction lends a rigidity to the object, yet the aqueous form gives it an energetic and almost weightless appearance, as if in perpetual motion.

Name of finalist: Tobias Møhl
Country of entry: Denmark
Name of work: 'Black Twill Collection'
Category: Glass
Materials: Glass and wood

With this series of clear and black-brown glass vessels, Møhl brings a contemporary Scandinavian language to the 17th-century filigrano methods of Venetian glass blowing. The vessels are patterned to resemble leaves or feathers, and when presented in a light box they are reminiscent of botanical or biological specimens.

Name of finalist: Veronika Beckh
Country of entry: Germany
Name of work: 'Blackness'
Category: Glass
Materials: Glass

This contemplative piece beautifully demonstrates the particular qualities of black glass. Its form is conceived as an interplay between the viewer and the space; when viewed in certain ways the object reflects its entire surroundings, in others the form descends into nothingness. The funnel-shaped inner segment, the smoothness of the glass and the deep black colour all work together to alter the experience of the viewer.

Name of finalist: Waqas Khan
Country of entry: Pakistan
Name of work: 'The Library Has No Letters II'
Category: Paper
Materials: Archival red ink on wasli paper

This meticulous, visual entanglement of miniscule dashes and marks on paper is inspired by the philosophy of Sufi poetry. Khan creates these large compositions in a meditative, almost trance-like state, using a rotring pen. The celestial, web-like images speak to a tradition of calligraphy in Islamic art.

Name of finalist: Xavier Toubes
Country of entry: Spain
Name of work: 'Cabeza Bicho and Cloud with Handles'
Category: Ceramics
Materials: Ceramics and glazes

This series of powerful, theatrical vessels embodies Toubes’ passionate and expressive handling of ceramic materials. These almost figurative forms appear fleshy, absurd and existential. He shapes their distinctive, textured surfaces to great effect, layering slips and finishing the dynamic forms with coatings of bold and primal colour.

Name of finalist: Yang Gao
Country of entry: China
Name of work: 'Dandelion'
Category: Furniture
Materials: Bamboo

This extraordinary piece of furniture is made entirely of bamboo. Gao hammers and splits the ends of bamboo sticks to create forms resembling dandelions, meticulously layering each one to create a voluminous ottoman-style structure. Creating a rigid framework of support, Gao miraculously produces a soft appearance out of a fundamentally hard material.