Yinka Ilori

Yinka Ilori is a multi-disciplinary artist based in London whose work fuses his British-Nigerian heritage to tell new stories through design. Working across architecture, graphic design, sculpture, interior and furniture design, Ilori is most well-known for his bold use of colour to create playful designs for furniture and public spaces, and was made a Member of the British Empire in 2021. Long, M. (2021) 'Yinka Ilori among designers and creatives named in New Year’s Honours 2021' Design Week. [Online] 4 January. Available at: https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/4-10-january-2021/ny-honours-2021/ (Accessed: 29 November 2021), S. (2020) 'The British Nigerian designer making technicolor adult playgrounds', CNN. [Online] 18 September. Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/yinka-ilori-studio-design/index.html (Accessed: 29 November 2021) Notable clients and collaborations include partnerships with Lego Cooper, L. (2021) 'Yinka Ilori's LEGO collab opens to the public today', TimeOut. [Online] 28 October. Available at: https://www.timeout.com/london/news/yinka-iloris-lego-collab-opens-to-the-public-today-102821 (Accessed: 29 November 2021), The Brit Awards Bertoli, R. (2021) 'Brit Awards 2021 winners to receive trophies by Yinka Ilori and Es Devlin', Wallpaper. [Online] 10 May. Available at: https://www.wallpaper.com/design/brit-awards-2021-trophy-design-es-devlin-yinka-ilori (Accessed: 29 November 2021) , AdidasTromp, S. (n.d.) 'miadidas x Yinka Ilori I think sometimes it’s quite good to be niche', We Present, We Transfer. , and, Pepsi.artlifelaboratory (n.d.) 'LIFEWTR Pepsi'.[Online] Available at: https://artlifelaboratory.com/lifewtr/ (Accessed: 29 November 2021) Williams,M. (2019)'Arto LIFEWTR aims to give a canvas to artists', Creative Review. [Online] 8 August. Available at: https://www.creativereview.co.uk/arto-lifewtr/ (Accessed: 29 November 2021) Ilori, Y. (2021) Yinka Ilori. Available at: https://yinkailori.com/about (Accessed: 22 November 2021)
==Early life and education==
Ilori grew up in a multicultural neighbourhood on Essex Road in Islington, attending St Jude & St Paul's C of E Primary School, his father is a store manager for B&Q and his Mother is an Events Caterer.Aron, I. (2021) 'Designer Yinka Ilori on growing up in Islington', TimeOut. [Online] 19 July. Available at: https://www.timeout.com/london/news/designer-yinka-ilori-on-growing-up-in-islington-071921 (Accessed: 29 November 2021)Colquhoun , J. (2021)'Lego and artist Yinka Ilori partner to create the Launderette of Dreams', Famous Campaigns. [Online] 29 October. Available at: https://www.famouscampaigns.com/2021/10/lego-and-artist-yinka-ilori-partner-to-create-the-launderette-of-dreams/ (Accessed: 29 November 2021)Aouf, R.S. (2021) ‘Yinka Ilori builds colourful Lego launderette in east London for kids to play in’, Dezeen, 28 October [Online]. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2021/10/28/yinka-ilori-lego-launderette-of-dreams-east-london/ (Accessed: 24 November 2021)Sunshine, B. (2020) ‘‘Architecture and design should be for everyone’: Yinka Ilori’s colourful world’, The Guardian, 14 June, [Online]. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/jun/14/yinka-ilori-colourful-world-london-nigeria-public-spaces (Accessed: 24 November 2021 Ilori recalls vibrant outfits worn by his parent’s friends and family at houseparties when he was little.Tindall, S. (2021) ‘Artist Yinka Ilori on finding inspiration in lockdown’, Country & Town House, 21 May, [Online]. Available at: https://www.countryandtownhouse.co.uk/interiors/yinka-ilori/ (Accessed: 24 November 2021)Ilori studied Product and Furniture Design at London Metropolitan University. Design London (2021) 'Yinka Ilori'. [Online] Available at: https://www.designlondon.co.uk/speakers/yinka-ilori (Accessed: 29 November 2021)
==Career==
After his degree, Ilori undertook an internship with furniture designer Lee Broom.Barratt, H. (2020) 'Yinka Ilori: ‘Why should I feel like I don’t belong?’ ', Financial Times. [Online] 3 April. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/43b88468-6de0-11ea-89df-41bea055720b (Accessed: 29 November 2021) Ilori’s creative practice began in 2011, when he began upcycling second-hand furniture, taking inspiration from Nigerian parables and the colour and design aesthetic of West African textiles which had been around him during his childhood.Design Indaba (2021) 'Yinka Ilori’s New 20-Piece Homeware Collection Merges African and English Customs', Design Indaba. [Online] 26 April Available at: https://www.designindaba.com/articles/creative-work/yinka-ilori’s-new-20-piece-homeware-collection-merges-african-and-english (Accessed: 29 November 2021)Chutel, L. (2017) 'A British-Nigerian designer tells modern African parables with chairs you can’t sit on', Quartz Africa. [Online] 9 March Available at: https://qz.com/africa/928619/designer-yinka-ilori-uses-chairs-to-tell-the-stories-of-people-who-sit-in-them/ (Accessed: 29 November 2021) His first solo work was supported by a £3000 grant from the Prince’s Trust.Maitland, H. (2020) ‘Yinka Ilori’s Joyful Homewares Are The Colourful Boost Your Flat Needs This Winter’, Vogue, 1 December, [Online]. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/yinka-ilori-interview (Accessed: 24 November 2021)
Today, Ilori runs his own studio, founded in 2017, whose team includes architects and designers for whom colour is a key interest.Alpha-Kilo (n.d.) 'Yinka Ilori'. [Online] Available at: http://www.alphakilocreative.com/yinkailori (Accessed: 29 November 2021) As his team has expanded Ilori has been able to take-on increasingly ambitious large-scale architectural and interior design projects.
==Culture and identity in Ilori’s work==
Ilori’s mixed cultural heritage is present in his work, and in his own words, his practice, “My work is very much about inclusivity and how people enjoy design.” Visiting Nigeria as a child had a huge effect on him, and helped him better understand his parent’s culture, and the Nigerian parables his parents told him as a child have become a major a source of inspiration for his work.
==Projects==
*Laundrette of Dreams (Lego Collaboration) (2021)LEGO (2021) 'The LEGO Group unveils ‘Launderette of Dreams’, an installation by artist Yinka Ilori that celebrates how children use play to rebuild the world around them', LEGO. [Online] 27 October. Available at: https://www.lego.com/en-gb/aboutus/news/2021/october/launderette-of-dreams/ Accessed: 29 November 2021)
*Transparency In Shades Of Colour (2021) Thomas, B. (2021) 'Design London unveils talks programme', Sleeper Magazine. [Online] 24 August. Available at: https://www.sleepermagazine.com/stories/events/design-london-unveils-talks-programme/ (Accessed: 29 November 2021)
*Bring London Together (2021) Elengical, J. (2021) 'Yinka Ilori restyles London’s pedestrian crossings with vivid colours for LDF 2021', Stirworld. [Online] 25 September. Available at: https://www.stirworld.com/see-news-yinka-ilori-restyles-london-s-pedestrian-crossings-with-vivid-colours-for-ldf-2021 (Accessed: 29 November 2021)
*Labrum SS22, The Sound Of Movement (2021) Wilson, T. (2021) 'Labrum’s SS22 Collection Sees British Styles Meet West African Accents', HYPEBEAST. [Online] 20 September. Available at: https://hypebeast.com/2021/9/labrum-london-ss22-london-fashion-week-runway-info (Accessed: 29 November 2021)
*Wallpaper Collection, Lick x Yinka Ilori Maximalist Brights Collection (2021) Davidson, L. (2021) 'Lick’s new collection with award-winning artist Yinka Ilori embraces the biggest trend of the season', Ideal Home. [Online] 7 September. Available at: https://www.idealhome.co.uk/news/lick-x-yinka-ilori-maximalist-brights-collection-286110 (Accessed: 29 November 2021)
*Sonsbeek, Arnhem Rakes, R. (2021) 'sonsbeek20→24, “force times distance: on labour and its sonic ecologies”', Art Agenda. [Online] 19 July. Available at: https://www.art-agenda.com/criticism/409489/sonsbeek20-24-force-times-distance-on-labour-and-its-sonic-ecologies (Accessed: 29 November 2021)
*Dodge, Somerset House (2021) Wong, H. (2021) 'Yinka Ilori and Nick Ryan design “artful dodgems” for Somerset House', Design Week. [Online] 5 July. Available at: https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/5-11-july-2021/dodge-yinka-ilori-somerset-house/ (Accessed: 29 November 2021)
*Colour Palace, Dulwich Picture Gallery (2019)Dulwich Picture Gallery (2019) 'Dulwich Pavilion 2019: The Colour Palace' [Online] Available at: https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/2019/may/dulwich-pavilion-2019-the-colour-palace/ (Accessed: 29 November 2021)
==Exhibitions==
===Solo Exhibitions===
*Ilori, Y. (2015) If Chairs Could Talk. [Exhibition] The Shop At Bluebird.Uzoezi (2015) '“IF CHAIRS COULD TALK”, YINKA ILORI’S SOLO INSTALLATION AT THE SHOP AT BLUEBIRD', Livin Spaces. [Online] 2 September. Available at: https://livinspaces.net/projects/interiors/if-chairs-could-talk-yinka-iloris-solo-installation-at-the-shop-at-bluebird/ (Accessed: 29 November 2021)
*Ilori, Y. (2014) This is Where It Started. [Exhibition] The Whitespace Gallery, Lagos.The Niche Mag (2014) 'Yinka Ilori in ‘This is where it started’ Lagos exhibition 
', The Niche Mag. [Online] 14 September. Available at: https://www.thenicheng.com/yinka-ilori-in-this-is-where-it-started-lagos-exhibition/ (Accessed: 29 November 2021)
*Ilori, Y. (2013) It Started With a Parable. [Exhibition] Jaguar Shoes, London Design Week.Jaguar Shoes (2013) 'Yinka – It Started With A Parable', Jaguar Shoes. [Online]. Available at: http://www.jaguarshoes.com/yinka-it-started-with-a-parable/ (Accessed: 29 November 2021) 
===Group exhibitions===
*KNIT! (2020) [Exhibition] Kvadrat, Copenhagen.Kvadrat (2020) 'Kvadrat presents Knit!', Kvadrat. [Online]. Available at: https://www.kvadrat.dk/en/knit-by-kvadrat (Accessed: 29 November 2021) 
*Home Affairs (2015) [Exhibition] Now Gallery, London.Now Gallery (2015) 'Home Affairs', Now Gallery. [Online]. Available at: https://nowgallery.co.uk/exhibitions/home-affairs (Accessed: 29 November 2021) 
*Making Africa (2015) [Exhibition] Vitra Design Museum, Basel, 2015 touring to Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.Vitra Design Museum (2015) 'Making Africa: A Continent of Contemporary Design', Vitra Design Museum. [Online] Available at: https://www.design-museum.de/en/exhibitions/detailpages/making-africa.html (Accessed: 29 November 2021) 
*Africa Calling (2014) [Exhibition] Africa Utopia, Southbank Centre, London.Shenoy, K. (2014) 'Africa Calling', TheDots. [Online]. Available at: https://the-dots.com/projects/africa-calling-115221 (Accessed: 29 November 2021) 
Category:Artists by genre
Category:Artists from London