An interview with Nigerian-Canadian designer Lani Adeoye, winner of Milan’s 2022 Salone Satellite Design Award.

DM asked the internationally acclaimed, Lagos and NYC based designer about her work philosophy, inspired by the desire to connect and act on the empathy she feels with the world around her. A firm believer in cross-cultural collaboration, in this captivating interview she reveals how feelings and emotions play an important role in her work, all the more so when designing functional objects. Adeoye also shares some personal, inspiring reflections on food, appliances and kitchens, which she conceives as the heart of the home.

Your work, spanning interior design, wearables, furniture and medical devices, seems to be driven by a sense of melody and rhythm. Do you recognise yourself in this?

Very much so. As a designer, I am motivated by connection, and empathy. I am not particularly driven by a specific product category. A lot of it has to do with things that are going on in the community. There’s the artistic, but also the problem-solving nature, so I’m responding to things that I am observing.
“RemX was named after my grandfather, Remi. I wanted to design something that had a sense of dignity, something that wouldn’t remind him of his condition.”

You won a prestigious international award, among many others, for a medical assistance device, a walker. How did you come about entering this field, and would you define your work as inclusive design?

I’d definitely go with that. During Covid I was thinking about the idea of our future selves, and reflecting on the universality of us all getting older. Also, at the time I was spending a lot of time helping to take care of my grandfather in Nigeria, and I was seeing how he was psychologically impacted by the various changes in his life, like his mobility.
We bought him things to walk better, like a walking stick or a walker, and a wheelchair at one point. They all looked so clinical, so cold, he was embarrassed and wouldn’t take them to certain places, or he’d hide them. I started to think there was more to this, in terms of purposeful aesthetics. That these assistance devices should do more than just their utilitarian function.

I wanted to design something that had a sense of dignity, something that wouldn’t remind my grandfather of his condition. Also, something a bit ambiguous, which you wouldn’t know whether it’s a sculpture or a piece of furniture. To the point that when I brought it to Milan, I thought to myself “they’re not gonna know what this is!” The response was overwhelming, and we’re looking forward to collaborating with the right people to make sure it goes through rigorous prototyping and testing before bringing it to the market.

In your opinion, how did interior and furniture design evolve in recent years?

I think that, especially with the internet and social media, we’re all so interconnected. Also, people are travelling more, so there’s a lot more exposure to what’s going on in other parts of the world. I teach at Parsons in New York, and interestingly enough I teach a class called “Hybrid Design”, which is a lot about merging different sectors. The academic world is realising how much overlap there is in the work of designers, and that’s very much how I function, how I practice. For what concerns interiors, and products, too, there’s a lot of cross- cultural learning and exchange happening. There’s so much we can learn from each other, and I want to engage more in that.

Your chairs, stools and tables are for the most part made of natural materials. Is that a deliberate choice with sustainability in mind?

Yes, it’s very much motivated by sustainability. Also, having grown up in Nigeria, I wanted to show the possibilities of using local materials and production techniques. I wanted to explore contemporary language in furniture design, too. When Nigerians or other Africans see my pieces it’s quite nice to see them catch something that’s familiar but then see it in a different way. There’s that sort of duality.

Are the names of your creations linked to any particular language? Do they have a meaning?

Definitely, I design things I feel connected to, which I hope to say something with. For example, the walker is named after my grandfather: his name is Remi, and the walker is called RemX. The “X” was added just to give it a little tech touch. The collection I presented in Milan, is called Ekaabo. In the Yoruba language - the tribe I’m from in Nigeria - it means “welcome”. It was inspired by the West-African hospitality and warmth, which reflect in the shapes, the colours and the materials. If you ever go to a Nigerian home, they will overwhelm you with warmth! They will feed you, they will take care of you, pamper you in all sorts of ways.

What’s your perspective on food, food preparation and the way kitchens are conceptualised and designed today?

In New York, space is a big constraint, it’s smaller and more expensive. Kitchens function differently for most people here in New York. Some people don’t typically have a dining table, or a kitchen island, so it’s about the essentials of what a kitchen needs to do, whereas in other places, where space is not as much of a luxury, the kitchen becomes more like the heart of the home. Personally, I’ve experienced it both ways. When I’m here it’s more about the utilitarian aspect of the kitchen, and when I’m in Nigeria it’s about the heart of the home.

What is the principal role of the kitchen space today, and what should be its principal characteristics?

It depends from where I am, but I’d say it would be that of making it easy to cook efficiently while also making it easy for people to gather around. The number of people will depend on the space available, but there is that bonding moment whether it’s friends cooking together, or family. I think lighting can also play a part in that as well.
1. DUNDUN coffee table. It derives its sculptural form and sense of rhythm from the Talking Drum (also known as Dundun). The silhouette of the drum is re-interpreted through the metal rods. Creating this under stated yet intriguing coffee table
2. SISI EKO LAMP. In the Yoruba language, Sisi Eko can be interpreted as Lagos Lady. The Sisi Eko lighting fixture celebrates that wondrous contradiction of strength & gentleness. It’s alluring form and double light creates its unique identity.

3. ITE hanging lamps. ITE means Nest in Yoruba. Inspired by the layered structure of a bird’s nest, the curved metal rods aim to evoke the embracive nature of a nest.

What is the importance of appliances in a kitchen?

They aid the whole process, they bring a sense of ease into it, and enjoyment. Beyond functionality, they should also be nice to look at, be part of the design of the whole kitchen. I just moved into a new place here, and I’m into choosing accessories, in particular for my kitchen. I think nowadays we are spoilt with choice, so consumers expect a lot more out of even the seemingly mundane appliances. They need to fulfil their purpose but also add something to the environment from an aesthetics perspective, unless they’re going to be hidden, but I don’t think we want them to be hidden anymore.
If it’s going to be in my kitchen, it doesn’t have to be a statement, but it needs to be compelling, bringing some kind of visual delight.

Is your personal relationship with food and its preparation influenced by the lifestyle of the society your are living in?

I love cooking, though I don’t cook that much in New York. My life is quite fast-paced, but I am a big foodie, and I enjoy bringing people together to share a home-cooked meal. Also, wherever I am I try and be in tune with seasons when it comes to ingredients. It’s not always easy, but I feel there’s a connection between our health and Earth’s rhythms: Earth knows what we need during that season. In Nigeria I move around quite a bit, and there are quite a lot of street vendors, and what’s on offer has very much to do with what is being grown in that season.

BIO

Lani Adeoye, a Lagos & New York based designer, seamlessly merges contemporary aesthetics with traditional craftsmanship. With a Bachelor’s in Commerce from McGill University, she graduated from NYC’s Parsons School of Design and founded Studio Lani in 2015, spanning New York City and Lagos. Her diverse portfolio, from eco-conscious urban interiors to wearables and medical assistance devices, reflects her commitment to environmental stewardship and social equity.
Influenced by her Lagos upbringing, Adeoye views design as a catalyst for inclusive change.
Adeoye’s groundbreaking work has garnered international recognition, including first prize in Milan’s 2022 ‘SaloneSatellite: Designing for our future selves’ for RemX. Featured in Elle Decor’s Women of the World: 75 Global Female Designers Worth Celebrating and Phaidon’s Woman Made and 1000 Design Classics, she also won New York’s WantedDesign (Launch Pad) Furniture Award in 2017.

studio-lani.com

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