Yinka Ilori

Yinka Ilori is a London based multidisciplinary artist of a British-Nigerian heritage, who specialises in storytelling by fusing his British and Nigerian heritage to tell new stories in contemporary design. He began his practice in 2011 up-cycling vintage furniture, inspired by the traditional Nigerian parables and West African fabrics that surrounded him as a child. Humorous, provocative and fun, each piece of furniture he creates tells a story, bringing Nigerian verbal traditions into playful conversation with contemporary design. Yinka Ilori Studio was established in 2017 following a successful pitch to transform the Thessaly Road Bridge. The studio now consists of a team of colour-obsessed architects and designers, with the expertise and capacity to take on large-scale architectural and interior design projects. The studio continues to experiment with the relationship between function and form, with an output that sits between traditional divisions of art and design

Website: Yinkailori.com
Instagram : @Yinka_ilori
Twitter : @Yinkailori_
Facebook : yinksdesigns

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Perfect idea of happiness would be lying on a beach in the Maldives with a Long Island Iced Tea, surrounded by chairs!

Which living person do you most admire?
Baby George

What is your greatest extravagance?
Trainers

What is your current state of mind?
Feeling excited about London Design Festival

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Life is too short

Which talent would you most like to have?
Skater, I mean it's never too late!!!

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Wish I could have smaller feet

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Having one of my chairs in the Brighton & Hoves furniture collection

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
I would come back as Blue Parrot

Where would you most like to live?
Caribbean

What is your most treasured possession?
My necklace with a chair on it

What is your favorite occupation?
Filmmaker

What is your most marked characteristic?
Talkative

What do you most value in your friends?
They have a good sense of humour

What is it that you most dislike?
Cold weather!

What is your greatest regret?
Not eating enough food in Kuwait!!

What is your motto?
Work hard, play hard.