‘London is a city where dreams come true. There’s so much culture, a community of love, and people who want to support and celebrate one another.’
Feature by Paige Reynolds
Artist and designer Yinka Ilori has had a lifelong fascination with objects. Whether it’s a candy-coloured basketball court that lights up London’s Canary Wharf or an event pavilion in Berlin made of translucent multi-coloured discs, Ilori is keen to make you see things a little differently.
Ilori’s London Travel Playbook is as colorful and joyful as you might expect — from the powerful community he grew up in to his favorite antique shops and the best spots for West African fare.
On growing up in a Nigerian household in North London
I grew up in a place called Essex Road in a council estate. My parents are Nigerian, they were born and raised in Nigeria, and I was immersed in so much culture that in a weird way, I did feel like I was actually born in Nigeria. My household was very Nigerian. From what we wore to what we ate to what we sang to the music we were listening to. Even down to being outside in a public space and speaking Yoruba or having my parents speak to us in Yoruba. My parents wanted us to understand the land that we were truly from and that’s West Africa and Nigeria. Having those two cultures for me was so incredible and I felt really special and privileged to be part of both communities. It really did shape the artist and designer I am today. It’s shaped my lens and perspective on the world and how I use influences within my work.
On finding and nurturing your interest in design
Originally my parents were obsessed with each of us being a doctor, engineer, scientist or a lawyer or a banker, something a lot more academic or respectable — but as a young kid I was always interested in objects. I was really obsessed with the objects, colors and characters that allowed me to reimagine, to dream and to create my own reality. I think as a kid, you’re always searching for a dream or this kind of otherness where you can create your own worlds. I had this small lizard and I remember scaring my sister with it and my parents sort of confiscated it from me and put it in this cupboard I couldn’t reach and it really stuck with me. From a young age, I think I could see the power of objects and what they could do to people and how it could make them feel emotionally.
On what community means to you
Community is such a huge part of my DNA. It makes me who I am today because I was raised by my family but also by a community. I think I’ve always been obsessed with stories that are embedded and woven within communities. As a young kid growing up, I understood the importance of feeling like you belong to something or to a space. That idea that this space symbolizes who you are and what you stand for. Growing up in north London, I felt like I was part of an army, I felt like I was untouchable, I felt like if anyone came into our estate, someone whether it’s a neighbor or someone who knew me down the street as I was growing up would come and protect or defend me. There is that element of feeling like you’re part of a huge family that you can’t buy or fabricate, you have to really feel ingrained within the infrastructure and that community.
‘I care about making art, design and architecture accessible and inclusive. I want to disrupt those spaces that feel they have ownership. That’s something I’m trying to break down through public art.’
On how you’ve woven this sense of community into your work
Over the years, I’ve been trying to work in communities, whether it’s communities who don’t have play spaces, or communities who have incredible stories, and figure out how we can bring out their stories and weave them into the public space. How can we make those communities have a destination? If we’re designing a pavilion or designing a playground, it’s quite important for me as a studio, that we go down to those spaces, and talk to people who live in those communities, and really understand their story and weave them into the installation. For me, those are the people that live and breathe life and narratives into those spaces. I’m a small fraction within those communities so it’s about trying to gain their trust and understand that I’m not a developer trying to come in and do a bit of placemaking here because the council have just said here’s a bit of budget to do this in a community, but we really care as a studio about uplifting communities and making them feel part of that development or that story or that journey.
On a project that exemplifies this
We designed a basketball court in Canary Wharf and if you look at Canary Wharf, it’s a space that isn’t welcomed by everyone. It’s a city, it’s a business, it’s very corporate. High net worth individuals who probably haven’t seen people from other cultures or communities come down there. So when the opportunity came up to design a basketball court in Canary Wharf I was like this is such a huge opportunity to change the narrative and change the infrastructure of Canary Wharf and what it signifies. You know those people who feel like they can’t go to the Canary Wharf because they feel like they don’t belong? I wanted to change that because they do belong there, they can go to Canary Wharf and have a drink and have a walk along the river. For me, what I care about is making the art, design and architecture, accessible and inclusive. I want to disrupt those spaces that feel they have ownership or feel like they’re entitled to be in those spaces because they have a degree from Oxford or Cambridge. That’s something I’m trying to break down and I’m doing that through public art.
On how traveling informs your creative practice
I’ve traveled to America, Asia, West Africa, I’ve done a lot of traveling to Europe, and I think for me, more than ever, people want joy. People want to feel empowered, they want to feel enlightened. They want to feel a part of something. They want to create memories as a collective because we experienced collective pain and frustration during COVID, so I think for me now, it’s about trying to create memories that are for collectives. So I think that’s what we’ve been trying to do in our work. We designed a pavilion in Germany, which was built of rays. We designed a cafe in the heart of Miami for a gallery called Super Blue, which is really inspired by the palm trees, the suns and the colors you find in Miami. We’ve also created projects in France, like skateparks. My work and the work of the studio is always centered around this idea of trying to create memories, to change the way that we’ve used spaces, to change the way that we look at architecture and design and to just make people feel part of something.
On a window or an aisle seat
It’s a great question. Oh man, I like the window because I get to look outside and look at incredible landscapes. Wherever it is I’m going I’m sure to always be inspired by some of its mountains or trees or the colors you might see in the sky or the clouds.
On how you’d spend a day with friends around London
I’ve been into walks recently so probably go to Richmond Park or Kew Gardens. Then for coffee, and I know it’s a chain, but I love having a coffee at High Road House in Chiswick. I love a nice full English breakfast there. Have a coffee and then maybe a ginger shot — keep the gut nice and healthy and clean! Then we’d probably go to The Old Cinema which is an antique shop which I love. I always just go in there to look for antique furniture, chairs or jewelry or sofas or anything I can kind of collect. Then, I’d probably go to Upper Street, go to a place called Past Caring, another antiques shop that I like going to, to find objects from the 60s or 80s or 70s. Again, I’m obsessed with antiques. Then I’d probably take them to a Nigerian restaurant which I actually went to last weekend, they’re called Pitanga. They do incredible Nigerian food and it would be good for people who are vegetarian or vegan. They do breakfasts, lunches and dinners. If you’re into West African food or if it’s your first time, that would be a good place to go to. I also take my friends to a place called Stork, which is also another Nigerian restaurant in Mayfair that is super nice. It’s an incredible twist on West African Nigerian food. They also do amazing cocktails. Then if we’re looking for something cultural I’d probably take them to Somerset House. I love Somerset House. They have always put on good shows. They have this nice ice rink in December and they also have art fairs, 1–54 African Art Fair — and other great shows and exhibitions. Then I love going to Dover Street Market. I can’t afford much, just nice to look at clothes and trainers and exclusive things.
On your relationship with London and how that’s changed over the years
It’s definitely a love relationship. I was going to say it’s love-hate, but I think the last two years have made me realize and appreciate London as a city where dreams come true. A city where there’s so much culture, a city where there is a community of love and people want to support and really celebrate one another. It’s definitely love. The only maybe bit of hate I have is just the weather this time of the year but you do learn to embrace it. You learn to get a scarf and a wooly hat, I’ve even got my eye on some mittens. So definitely a love relationship right now.
‘More than ever, people express themselves through fashion, design, architecture, and music. There are so many incredible things happening. There are so many things I’m looking forward to.’
On what song best represents London for you
The song that represents London right now is by Burna Boy and it’s called It’s Plenty. The reason why is that the song just talks about celebration, living in the moment and celebrating life and celebrating your loved ones and friends. I don’t like to keep referencing the pandemic but I feel like we made memories but when you’re kind of restricted and told you can’t do something, you just want to celebrate every day, because you never know what is around the corner.
On London in one word
Unapologetic. The reason being that we’re not afraid of expressing ourselves. Whether it’s through protesting with bricks or through storytelling. I think more than ever, people are really expressing themselves through fashion, design, architecture, music. There are just so many incredible things happening. There are so many things I’m looking forward to. It’s just everything and we’re very unapologetic and not afraid to say how we feel.
On something off the beaten track to see in London
I haven’t been there for a while but I think The Wallace Collection. I’ve been there three or four times but that place always feels like a gem. The first time I went there I just remember thinking, how have I not been here before? Everything from the interiors to the artworks to the restaurant is just wow. Magical. You feel like you’re somewhere else.
