Award Category: Applied Art and Design Award

A graduate of the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, majoring in Ceramic Design. Lilach specializes in wheel-thrown porcelain lighting, utilizing the purity of porcelain in her fresh and contemporary design. At the heart of her design lies an idea, conveyed by shape, form and contour. The contour reveals itself by the presence and absence of material, both equally important. Two of her pieces have recently been featured in “500 Pitchers” and “500 Plates and Chargers” by Lark Books. Lilach received the 2008-2009 One of a Kind Award for Excellence in All Craft Media, Western Canada, presented by the Craft Council of British Columbia.

Omer Arbel is a Vancouver-based and internationally-recognized designer whose work in furniture and lighting design is strongly influenced by his background as an architect. His pieces are characterized not only by their intrinsic qualities but also by the way they affect the spaces around them. A graduate of the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, Arbel’s work has won a D & AD Yellow Pencil Award and has been shortlisted for the IF Product Design Award in Hannover, Germany, and for the Blueprint Best Newcomer award in London, England.

On September 21, 2009 Karl Stittgen received the 2009 BC Creative Achievement Award of Distinction in Vancouver at the 5th annual presentation event for the BC Creative Achievement Awards for Applied Art and Design. A jeweller and goldsmith, Stittgen is being honoured for his profound and lasting impact on applied art and design in British Columbia. Stittgen began his career in Vancouver in 1954 and over several decades created an original and distinctive body of work inspired by the organic forms of nature, and the clean lines of architecture. His jewelry of gold, platinum, gemstones, pearls, ancient coins and artifacts earned him legions loyal customers and much critical acclaim during what some have called the golden age of design in Vancouver.

A 1988 graduate of the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, Yael Krakowski’s understanding of colour and texture is demonstrated in the depth and sophistication of her jewelry pieces. Using a wide range of materials, Krakowski is constantly experimenting to achieve innovative and contemporary designs that create a highly visual and tactile dialogue. Her work has been shown worldwide, is included in the permanent collection of the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York, and has been published in ‘500 Necklaces’ by Lark Books.

Drawing on her rural childhood and her world travels, the work of Sarah Lawless represents an intermingling of the wild natural environment and the weathered ancient products of human endeavour, worn away by time and the elements. Her functional porcelain ceramics combine ergonomic usability with a sculptural emphasis on form. Lawless attended the Kootenay School of the Arts (KSA) in Nelson, BC. Lawless was awarded two BC Arts Council Scholarships, received the Purchase Award in the International Orton Cone Box show that toured the USA, and participated in the BC-Tajimi Exchange Exhibition in Tajimi, Japan.

The work of Kinichi Shigeno is rich in detail and creatively merges his Japanese heritage with his impressions of life on Canada’s west coast. Shigeno trained and apprenticed in Japan before immigrating to Canada in 1981 as a cereamic designer. His strength lies in the way he merges functionality with his evolving exploration of form and surface decoration. He has participated in over 55 exhibitions in 35 years including the prestigious 46th annual International Ceramic Art Exhibition in Florence, Italy.

Angelika Werth is a contemporary sculptor/designer working in fibre. Influenced by her time in Paris and with Yves St. Laurent, her theatrical garments are both stand-alone sculpture and wearable art. Meticulous craftsmanship, aesthetic beauty and innovative design are the hallmarks of her work. Angelika’s work has been exhibited widely in Canada and abroad and is included in private collections from the BC Provincial Collection in Victoria to the Cambridge Art Gallery in Ontario. She has received awards from the BC Arts Council, Canada Council, and won second prize in an international fibre exhibition in Chateau Chassy in Morval, France.

It is a great honour to recognize one of BC’s most innovative and contemporary designers, John Fluevog, for his profound contribution to the field of applied art and design. John Fluevog is known around the world for his distinctive and innovative shoe designs. As a shoe retailer in Vancouver, Fluevog first partnered with Peter Fox in 1970. In the 1980s, he created his own brand, John Fluevog Shoes, which has since grown from its original store in Vancouver to ten locations across Canada and the United States. Unusual shapes, environmentally-conscious materials and humorous inscriptions on the linings and soles characterize his designs. John Fluevog is committed to the art of his designs and the success of his enterprise.