BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® PRIZE 2008

Finalists are announced for the world’s biggest award for artists working in glass

London, UK/November 2007 - The Bombay Sapphire Foundation has announced the finalists for the world’s biggest annual international glass award, the Bombay Sapphire Prize 2008.
Now in its sixth year, the annual £20,000 Prize was launched by the Foundation to reward and promote the outstanding achievements of international artists, designers and architects working with glass.
Awarded for excellence and innovation in the use of glass, the Prize has celebrated the work of some of the world’s most talented artists and designers including: Lena Bergström, Jaume Plensa, Tord Boontje, Barber Osgerby, Paul Cocksedge, Thomas Heatherwick, Foster and Partners and Ross Lovegrove.
The Foundation also awards an additional £5,000 for the ‘Best Newcomer’ to highlight the work of emerging new talent.
The Foundation was set up in 2001 with the aim of supporting and rewarding the best in contemporary design and in particular glass design. Members of the Foundation who will be judging the finalists for the Prize 2008 include the following international designers and glass experts: Ron Arad, Tom Dixon, Nicole Farhi, Thomas Heatherwick, Lesley Jackson, Dan Klein, Karim Rashid and Nadja Swarovski.
The finalists short-listed for the Prize will be showcased in the Bombay Sapphire Prize exhibition during Milan Design Week (April 16th – 21st 2008), where the final judging will take place. The winner will be announced at a special awards event on Thursday, April 17th 2008.
The exhibition will subsequently tour overseas until Spring 2009.