Julia Gäse, Germany

Julia Gäse’s work was convincing in its concept of sustainability. She rejects the fast, fashion-driven cycle of obsolescence and instead reflects on the possibilities of reuse. The well-thought-out concept includes the use of natural dyes to minimise environmental impact. The project aims to encourage behavioural change and raise awareness of the need for a sustainable approach to resources.

Raz Harari and Shir Israel, Israel

Raz Harari and Shir Israel from Studio Zing use paper casting in a novel, interesting, and experimental way, replacing the usual plaster with paper moulds. This results in unique pieces with unusually appealing surfaces. The unpredictable or non-calculable outcomes could not be achieved with plaster moulds and offer potential for further exploration of form.

Levani Jishkariani, Georgia/ Germany

Levani Jishkariani’s works are characterized by an archaic quality and a sculptural approach, as well as by an intriguing combination of materials. The clarity and expressive power of the works are achieved through a deliberate engagement with the material itself.

Muna Jonkman, Netherlands

Muna Jonkman combines traditional patterns and a personal symbolism rooted in her cultural heritage in the wall hangings “I am Because You Once Were.” She is concerned with connections—those between different cultures and times—between past and present. At the same time, she engages with rituals, particularly those of women, and with storytelling.

Mari Kobayashi, Japan

In her “enfold ring” series, Mari Kobayashi engages with a very old and highly complex enamel technique, which she executes with virtuosity. For the forms, she uses familiar, classical types that are decorated in enamel with delicate tendril ornaments. Kobayashi plays with the notion of value, which in her work is not conveyed through the stones traditionally associated with such forms, but rather through the technical complexity of their making.

Leika Su Kutzke, Germany

The inflatable tire protection impressed the jury as both an invention and a principle. It serves as an exemplary representation of inflatable object technology and can be transferred to many applications. The approach is suitable for everyday life with its constant changes.

Katerina Lagoda, Ukraine / Israel

Katerina Lagoda’s work “Dumka – Between Reality and Dream” impressed with its politically engaging concept as well as its authentic and memorable execution. The presence of the work is conveyed through its convincing staging, achieved by combining installation and fashion design. The idea of protection, with its emphasis on warmth and enveloping, addresses aspects of empathy and togetherness.

Award ceremony “TALENTE – Meister der Zukunft” 2026

From six countries, with seven perspectives: the award-winning emerging artists present a wide range of creative and craft-based works, spanning paper casting, enamel techniques, and textiles through to material research.

In the photo: Four of the prize winners of the “TALENTE – Meister der Zukunft” competition 2026 with members of the jury.

The winners from left to right: Julia Gäse, Levani Jishkariani, Mari Kobayashi, Leika Su Kutzke

Lena Ringel, Germany

Ceramic, stoneware, pigmented, cast

Lena Ringels’ vases are characterised by their unusual form. They are cast in broken, reassembled plaster moulds and fascinate with their sculptural appearance. Destruction and renewal form the basis of Lena Ringels’ work.

Nico Ridder, Germany

Convertible seating furniture, wood, textile straps

Nico Ridder was able to develop a modular seating system called “Mosinet” that adapts effortlessly to different spatial situations. It can be used as seating, deployed as a room divider, or stored compactly on the wall. The tensioned, colored webbing surface provides a high level of seating comfort and gives the piece of furniture a distinctive visual identity.

Lisa Maria Schubert, Germany

Wall piece, stoneware, painted, glazed 

Cobalt oxide serves both as the material responsible for the coloration of ceramics and as a component in the batteries of digital devices such as mobile phones. Individual forms and motifs refer to this dual role and to cobalt mining itself. Lisa Maria Schubert critically engages with the often-overlooked negative consequences of contemporary technology as well as with the traditions of her craft.