Yinka Ilori transforms household items into works of art

London-based designer Yinka Ilori has translated the playful, signature patterns that grace his large-scale installations into a limited-edition collection of homewares. The 20-piece line marks Ilori’s first foray into homewares, spanning rugs, cushions, stoneware and tablecloths, as well as more unexpected utilitarian items such as trays, tea towels and enamel mugs. “I like the idea of turning something we don’t normally pay much attention to in our homes into something artistic, a statement piece that has a narrative behind it. I think we spend so much time being distracted by other things that we tend to overlook functional design.” as much as we could,” the professional told Dezeen. Rather than collaborating with a company to execute the pieces, Ilori took control of her creation from start to finish to maintain creative independence. The results come in the form of her newly created, self-titled brand, Ilori, which will be sold primarily in her own website.

Each piece is created in collaboration with different artisans and suppliers: bowls and plates, for example, are made in Portugal while rugs are handmade in Nepal. Similar to streetwear, they will be released in limited edition “drops”, so that possible to feel the public's reaction and demand. A series of circular coasters and placemats are printed with some of the designs that launched Ilori’s career, while other pieces feature patterns directly transposed from his installations. Like much of Ilori’s work, these prints combine his Nigerian roots and impressions from his childhood in North London. “The patterns I used in this collection were based on the idea of a cultural exchange – a fusion of African and English cultures and customs. For me, these patterns represent the past and the present, uniting two cultures in today’s London and celebrating the society that we have now." Similarly, two rugs feature the abstract, repeating motif of a pineapple, an item that was so rare and luxurious when it was brought from South America that London socialites would rent one for a single night to display at their dinner parties. In Elsewhere, the collection features enamel mugs, a “classic British design” that nods to the country’s industrial history, alongside bed linens, which Ilori says hold a special nostalgia for him. In his childhood, hand towels were a democratic object in the household, used by all the different members of the family for different purposes, while a tablecloth invariably indicated a special occasion.