Hervé Sabin named Loewe Craft Prize finalist for Sèvi-Tè series

Hervé Sabin, a Haitian architect, designer, and finalist for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, crafts furniture and objects using reclaimed wood while working between Port-au-Prince, Miami, New York, and Montreal. His Sèvi-Tè series, which features sculptures and vessels named after the postcodes of the wood's origin, secured him a spot among 30 finalists selected from over 5,100 submissions from 133 nations. Influenced by his childhood in Haiti, where he fashioned toys from condoms and tights, Sabin left in 1989 after Jean-Claude Duvalier's removal. He studied architecture at the New York Institute of Technology and Pratt Institute before returning to Haiti post-2010 earthquake to establish Studio Drum Collaborative. In spring 2025, he moved to Miami due to insecurity, after closing his Port-au-Prince studio. His creative process includes carving, charring, sanding, and waxing wood, often allowing pieces to rest for extended durations. He also repurposes dust from charring by combining it with coffee grounds and glue to form a composite material. The jury for the 2026 Loewe Craft Prize featured Deyan Sudjic, Frida Escobedo, Patricia Urquiola, and Sheila Loewe, with South Korean ceramic artist Jongjin Park taking the award. This year, Sabin stands as the sole Caribbean representative.