A work by Moroccan artisans from Essaouira has won the Demófilo Prize, a major international award that celebrates creative and cultural craftsmanship.
The winning piece is a more-than-two-metre-high “Cross of Christ” carved from thuya wood, using the traditional wood-carving techniques Essaouira is famous for. It has been placed at the Bronze Gate of Giralda Cathedral, sending a message of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence between cultures and religions.
The award was given Thursday at the Pavillon Hassan II, and Moroccan Secretary of State for Crafts and Social Economy Lahcen Saadi accepted it. The ceremony was attended by officials from Spain’s Andalusian region, including the director of the Foundation, Mar Ahumada Sánchez, Culture and Sports adviser Patricia del Pozo Fernández, and government delegate Ricardo Sánchez Antúnez.
Speaking at the event, André Azoulay, adviser to King Mohammed VI, said the cross shows the creativity and skill of Moroccan artisans. “This piece shows the world a Morocco that reminds us how our civilisations can live together peacefully,” he said.
Saadi said the prize recognises Morocco’s rich heritage and the high quality of its crafts. He highlighted Essaouira as a city known for openness, tolerance, and passing skills from one generation to the next.
The ceremony also included plans to strengthen Moroccan-Spanish cooperation in crafts. A new agreement between Morocco’s Department of Crafts and the Foundation of the Three Cultures aims to support shared projects and promote traditional skills.
The Demófilo Prize, run by the Machado Foundation, celebrates people and projects that keep traditional arts alive, reminding the world of the value of handmade work in today’s mass-produced world.
