6th September 2016

Design Undefined: Camille Walala

- by Milly Burroughs

Wielding roots in textile design and an infallible dedication to injecting pure joy into any project with the use of bold pattern and colour, Camille Walala is first choice for brands and businesses who want to bring boardrooms, cafes and buildings to life with a visual narrative that exudes energy and excitement and encourages us to embrace new levels of engagement with our environments.

Emphatically rejecting everyday mundanity with vibrant geometric style, Camille Walala is the perfect embodiment of the principles behind Design Undefined. Having paved her own colourful path through the creative industry, Camille’s signature style can be spotted around the globe and is about to land at Clerkenwell London for the duration of LDF. Exhibiting alongside fellow colour-lover Yinka Ilori, the second edition of Design Undefined will see the French graphic artist transform the Vinyl Lounge into a new corner of Walala land.

We caught up with Camille to find out more about her upcoming installation.

Can you tell us a little about what you will be exhibiting at Design Undefined during LDF?

For this project I have been looking at how patterns clash. I want to create a room filled with patterns. Taking into consideration the original volume and angles of the space, I will distort the space by applying an array of patterns from floor to ceiling

I always draw my influences generally from the same places. I love African patterns, The Memphis movement and optical art. These are a few of my go to inspirations. I have also been looking at a lot of interior design for this particular project, especially George Sowden illustration.

What led you to exhibit at Clerkenwell London as part of Design Undefined?

I met the fabulous team from Clerkenwell London and they gave me the amazing opportunity to take over their Vinyl Lounge.

How are your murals made?

The majority of my murals are simply painted on the wall. Depending on what the project requires I will change up the materials used, sometimes we may use vinyl or spray paints, for example.

The main focus behind the design is scale. I will create huge feature walls that focus on strong oversized geometric shapes, encased in a repeat patterned border. The pattern from the feature wall will spill onto the ceiling and the floor, creating a totally immersive environment of pattern.

Lighting is very important, I want to create light boxes that offer a different element to the wall. They should sit perfectly within the design, adding a different texture to the room. These light boxes would be great as furniture too. I want to create cubes that we can cover with pattern, that the viewer can use as a table in the space. I also envisage the DJ booth as a light box!

Follow Camille on Twitter and Instagram for more colour porn than you can shake a Pantone chart at.