THE SILVER, GOLD, AND PRECIOUS STONES IN RACSO JUGARAP’S FATHER’S JEWELRY SHOP in Mindanao were off limits to him growing up. As a child, the artist was left to tinker with leftover wire scraps and pliers scattered around the workshop with which he fashioned trinkets and gifts for his friends.
“I just gave the gifts away for free—and they loved them,” he says. “They’ve always known me as the creative kid.” Perhaps, it is this artistry that has led him to his most recent achievement: becoming the first Filipino finalist of the Loewe Craft Prize.
The prize, which was launched in 2016, sought to honor those “who demonstrate an exceptional ability to create objects of superior aesthetic value. By identifying work that reinterprets existing knowledge to make it relevant today while reflecting its maker’s personal language and distinct hand, the Loewe Foundation aims to highlight the continuing contribution of craft to the culture of our time.” Past winners include Ernst Gamperl, Dahye Jeong, and Eriko Inazaki, whose ceramic piece “Metanoia” won last year.
While Jugarap’s artistic leanings might be traced back to his early days playing with scraps on the workshop floor, it wasn’t the original path he set for himself. When he was 17, he moved to Europe, Germany then to Belgium, to be a chef. He wanted to rebel against his father’s wishes to follow in his footsteps as a jewelry maker.
This story is from the April 2024 edition of Vogue Philippines.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2024 edition of Vogue Philippines.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
NEW LIGHT
What does body inclusivity for men look like in 2024? One individual speaks about plus-sized representation, identity and personal style.
rhythm NATION
Choreographer and creative director GIL DULDULAO sees the world in the fusion of dance and music.
SPEED OF LIGHT
In a constantly moving world, how do we capture fleeting moments?
WIND & WAVES
Young inventors LOUIE VILLALON and PATRICK DE GUZMAN want to make a positive impact on the Philippines' energy crisis
THE BLUE PRINT
Fresh off his first runway show, NICOLO PEREZ charts a future in fashion guided by high school sketches and childhood dreams.
HOME coming
The de Vera beach house in Pangasinan is an ode to mother, to lovingly collected objects and the stories they contain.
screen to SOUL
Throughout history, humans have tried to rationalize the meaning behind the ties that bind our relationships.
VISION SEEKER
It's DAVID CASH's metaverse, we're all just living in it.
AUTHENTICALLY ARTificial
Whether you like it or not, AI and Art are now starting to come together. asks the questions in all our minds.
how are YOU?
The answer to this often-loaded question lies in science-based strategies designed to help us understand ourselves better.