Design Undefined: Yinka Ilori

A specialist in up-cycled, vintage furniture, Yinka Ilori is a designer driven by a desire to eradicate the unnecessary waste of materials perpetuated by European and West African consumer culture. Having studied Furniture and Product Design at London Metropolitan University, Yinka’s socially-conscious work has been showcased at solo exhibitions around the globe, such as Do Good Because Of Tomorrow at Milton Keynes Arts Centre in July 2016, Belong Here Now at Design Miami in December 2015, If Chairs Could Talk at The Shop at Bluebird in September 2015, This Is Where It Started at The Whitespace Gallery in Lagos in October 2014 and many more. 

On show during The London Design Festival, and part of the second coming of Clerkenwell London’s Design Undefined exhibition, Yinka’s installation will sit alongside the work of acclaimed creative innovators Camille Walala, Granby Workshop, Adam Blencowe and Samuel Wilkinson. Consisting of six chairs, all telling their own stories, this the designers latest collection will form part of an installation visitors to the exhibition must navigate in order to digest the narrative of each object. 

“The narratives are based on adults that I grew up with as a child going to church with my family every Sunday. The idea of being able to translate faith into an object like a chair is really powerful because the audience will be able to share, understand and feel these individuals’ heart’s desires. One thing that particularly interests me about faith and praying is when the congregation hold hands in a circle, pray and sing together, there is something magical about it. Sometimes they pray for a person who is not physically in the service or they pray for someone while they are in the middle of the circle. This happens when they are praying for something in particular and for me this made me feel protected and safe. Growing up I remember the whole congregation going to the Margate seaside and praying by the sea. Based on all of these subjects, the collection will be presented as an installation incorporating everyday public objects that, in my eyes, represent protection, faith, love and unity. The installation will also consist of floor tiles, which will hopefully ignite a wide range of conversations between the chairs and audience.” says Yinka.

Find Yinka Ilori’s beautifully vibrant installation at Clerkenwell London  for the duration of The London Design Festival from 17, 19 - 24 September. Download the full Design Undefined press release here.