The winners of BOAT Artistry & Craft Awards in association with Parkway England have been announced at the Superyacht Design Festival in Kitzbühel, Austria. The principal aim of the awards is about celebrating behind-the-scenes artisans; talented individuals or teams who spend countless hours creating the finer details on board that bring an interior to life, from furniture to wall treatments, staircases and individual works of art.
Now in its second year, the awards has been expanded to three categories, Excellence in Craftsmanship, Outstanding Collaborative Creation and Emerging Artisan of the Year. This year the standard of entries, looked over by an independent panel of judges, were extremely high - so much so they also decided to add a Judges' Commendation to two finalists (below). Meet the winners of this year's awards...
Excellence in Craftsmanship: Céline Alexandre
Céline Sorigué, artistic director of Céline Alexandre, was commissioned by Reymond Langton Design to create custom-designed decorative panels for the beauty room of Kismet. The design, inspired by haute couture and depicting "a flight of ginkgo leaves," pays homage to these uniquely shaped symbols of hope, strength, and resilience. The panels took the studio team a painstaking 400 hours to create and employed various painting styles, techniques and intricate layers of paint, varnish and delicate gold leaf engraving.
The judges said: Parkway England’s CEO, judge and sponsor of the Artistry and Craft Awards, Jay Rushton was very impressed by the sheer number of different artistic skills that went into the panels. "Looking at the variations of techniques and the exceptional craftsmanship that went into it, these were the winning factors for me."
Deborah Pocock LVO also loved the work, calling it: "an exquisite use of materials. I think that multi disciplinary layering of techniques, how it's come together to create one piece, is extraordinary." Adrian Sassoon summed up why this piece got the winning vote: "When the room of judges all saw the entry, they were all overwhelmed. It caught everyone's attention and imagination."
Outstanding Collaborative Creation: Silverlining
The marquetry panels in Kismet were designed by Silverlining Furniture for Reymond Langton Design. Capturing the refined elegance of traditional chinoiserie while addressing the practical requirements of a marine environment, the design emphasised "movement and tranquility" - achieved via gold accents set against a rich black backdrop.
The studio crafted 29 intricate panels, positioned in both wardrobe and bathroom areas, which acted as striking focal points within the yacht's interior. Combining classic chinoiserie motifs such as cranes and flora with contemporary marquetry techniques, the project spanned 35 square metres and required 14 months of meticulous work, involving precision craftsmanship, material innovation and close collaboration with the yacht's interior design team. Materials included Dubai-gold metallised resin, satinwood and cracked black resin.
The judges said: "The innovation behind these panels are truly exceptional," said awards co-chair and BOAT's group creative director Christopher Whale. "Silverlining Furniture has not only honoured the timeless elegance of chinoiserie but also pushed the boundaries of what is possible in a yacht interior. The combination of artistic vision, technical precision and material ingenuity is nothing short of remarkable. This project exemplifies the highest standards of design and execution."
With specialists in marquetry at their own Parkway England workshop, Jay Rushton was also extremely complimentary at the work involved. "Knowing how this is started, and the various skills that are required for a project like this, I can really appreciate the technical ability and craftsmanship involved."
Emerging Artisan of the Year: Poppy Pawsey
Poppy Pawsey joined Silverlining Furniture in February 2023 after an injury led to a medical discharge from the Royal Marines Military Band. Despite having no experience, she discovered a passion for marquetry and within 18 months progressed from a trainee to a fully fledged marquetarian.
This games table, with interchanging boards for backgammon and chess, was another commission by Reymond Langton Design for Kismet. In its creation, Pawsey used five different veneers, including stained ripple sycamore, bird's eye maple, lacewood, satinwood and walnut burr, to decorate the table with a highly decorative butterfly and gingko leaf design. It was her first solo project.
The judges said: The precision and application to detail so early on in a career is admirable, and to see her applying herself to all these wonderful materials with such skill and attention to detail is impressive," said Adrian Sassoon. Jay Rushton agreed:"Hearing where she's come from, what she's achieved in such a short period of time, is commendable. She's obviously got a natural skill and ability that is very rare. When you find that, you've got to embrace it."
Judges’ Commendation: Eva Mechler
Designer and master furniture maker Eva Mechler specialises in building sustainable pieces using wood offcuts. She collaborates with decking specialist WolzNautic, which works with a material called Tesumo – a natural wood alternative to teak developed in partnership with Lürssen.
The 'Fox' lounge chair for Fox was hand-crafted using traditional woodworking skills. Some of the hand tools used in Mechler’s workshop are inherited from her grandfather.
Judges’ Commendation: Sabina Fay Braxton
Sabina Fay Braxton was commissioned by Reymond Langton Design to create this headboard in the master bedroom on board Kismet. The technique she used - a hybrid of the medieval blocked gaufrage (embossing) technique, artistic painting and embroidery - was one she had has evolved this over time working for big fashion houses and the project took ten weeks.
The piece began with a deep-pile velvet base, into which a hand-carved motif was pressed to create a multi-dimensional effect resembling a weathered plaster mural. A trellis of pearls and cords was added, fading in and out to enhance the illusion of depth.
The BOAT Artistry and Craft Awards 2026 will open for entry soon. If you know of any special artisan that should be considered for next year’s awards programme, please do let us know by emailing events@boatinternationalmedia.com
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