The multidisciplinary artist Attua Aparicio has been named the third (and the first female) recipient of the prestigious annual Ralph Saltzman Prize and will get to showcase her work in an exhibition at the Design Museum from 1 February – 15 April. Aparicio was praised by an expert judging panel for her ‘deft handling of a range of materials’. She follows in the footsteps of 2023’s winner designer Marco Campardo and rising star Mac Collins, who was the inaugural prize winner in 2022.
‘Aparicio’s work is imbued with an energy and creativity that I know my father would have loved,’ explains Ralph Saltzman’s daughter and creator of the award, Lisa Saltzman. ‘Her deft handling of a range of materials results in a visually arresting portfolio of work with sustainability and tactility at its heart.’
Aparicio’s practice is driven by material research and often explores innovative ways of making, in part as a consequence of her interest in sustainability. Examples of this includes her glittering, lumpy ‘Digit Texture’ sculptures, which are handmade using a mixture of porcelain, glaze and waste borosilicate glass as well as ‘Solaris de Esgueva’ (above right), a stone shelving unit she designed in collaboration with her sister.
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The ‘AJ’ series (below), which she created alongside glass artist Jochen Holz, is one of the artist’s most high-profile collections to date and was exhibited at the Alcova Project Space during Milan Salone del Mobile 2021.
Aparicio is the first Ralph Saltzman Prize winner whose work lies at the intersection between art and design, highlighting the breadth of work supported by the award. By contrast, Campardo and Collins’ portfolios – which centre on furniture – can be neatly categorised under the product design umbrella.
‘Working in the intersection of design, craft and art and being given the opportunity to show my work in the Design Museum makes me appreciate how open and exciting the broader design community is,’ says Aparicio. ‘This prize is a great encouragement to my practice and the future of my work,’ she adds.
The designer, who grew up in Spain, was nominated for the award by influential designer Martino Gamper. For this year’s competition, five established designers each put forward a designer who is currently making waves in the field of product design. The other shortlisted few were Sabine Marcelis’s choice, design duo Astronauts (work pictured above left), and Jasper Morrison’s nomination, Tabatha Pearce Chedier. Meanwhile, Simone Brewster selected Jacob Marks (work pictured above right) and Daniel Charney put forward Micaella Pedros.
The Ralph Saltzman Award was launched by Lisa Saltzman on behalf of the Saltzman Family Foundation. It celebrates designers that have set up their own practice in the last five years in an effort to champion new talent and nurture the development of the flourishing design industry. The annual prize aims to support emerging talent through a bursary and display at the Design Museum. designmuseum.org
