Nifemi Marcus-Bello makes US debut with exhibition of bronze designs
'Oríkì (Act I): Friction Ridge' by Lagos-based designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello is on view at Marta Culver City until 4 March 2023
Nifemi Marcus-Bello, the Lagos-based designer, has made his solo American debut with an inaugural exhibition at the gallery Marta in Los Angeles. Well-known for his ethnographic approach of elevating community through design, Marcus-Bello explores the ideas of identity, materiality and craft production through a new, ongoing series of work that he has named ‘Acts’.
The first chapter, ‘Oríkì (Act I): Friction Ridge’, now on view at Marta’s new satellite space in Culver City, takes shape as a collection of sculptural benches made from polished bronze. It is named after the multigenerational tradition of praise poetry (oríkì) and spoken affirmation amongst the Yoruba people and Yoruba-speakers of West Africa, and is intentionally set against a soundscape featuring the voice of the designer’s mother, Folake, as she delivers Marcus-Bello’s personal oríkì.
The concept behind this exhibition was especially significant for Marcus-Bello. ‘This body of work is one that didn't come easy, but was extremely enjoyable from the start. I am hoping to pace myself, hence breaking down the output into “Acts”, making sure to be considerate to all aspects of the work: the research, the output and the presentation,’ he says. ‘For me, how it was shown was a lot more crucial than where, and after a great deal of conversation on scale and space, Marta went hunting for the right space to interact with the pieces.’
Marta’s co-founder Benjamin Critton echoes, ‘After multiple discussions about the presentation of the works, we felt it necessary to show all the pieces in a sufficiently generous space and one with ample natural light in order to literally and figuratively allow the works to shine.’ Critton and his partner, Heidi Korsavong found an appropriately unique space, ‘a real gem of a building, almost an architectural folly (in the praising sense of that word); it's a wonderfully idiosyncratic space, but one that is absolutely perfect for Nifemi's exhibition,’ he says. ‘With steel-framed windows on three sides of the space, the shifting patterns of light over the course of the day serve to activate the textural surfaces of the bronze, to the extent that the works occasionally feel like they are glowing from within.’
Marcus-Bello boldly presents a single form in multiples, which poetically and effectively emphasises the texture, physicality and production processes of each piece. The hands of the craftsmen who make the pieces possible are also celebrated in the legible imprints that have been retained on the works’ surfaces. This gesture also nods to the title of the works, ‘Friction Ridge’ – a reference to the physiology of the hand and an homage to the Surma people of Ethiopia, who paint using themselves and each other by repeatedly using finger imprints.
Marta Satellite, 3050 S La Cienega Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90232 – 7333 USA
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.
-
La Vie en Rose: can the Jaguar Type 00 reset the narrative surrounding the brand’s reinvention?
This is the Jaguar Type 00, the first physical manifestation of the reborn brand’s new commitment to ‘Exuberant Modernism’. We take it for a semiotic spin
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The RIBA House of the Year 2024 winner is a delightful work-in-progress
The winner of the RIBA House of the Year 2024 is Six Columns in South London - the home of architect and 31/44 studio co-founder William Burges
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Bold maximalism engulfs The Lafayette Hotel and Club in San Diego
The Lafayette Hotel and Club, designed by Post Company, brings together a rich tapestry of patterns, themes and colours
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Art, artefacts and Armani Casa: step into our Made in Italy showcase
In this photographic series, we combine Armani Casa’s timeless furniture collections with Italian art and rare artefacts to tell the story of Made in Italy craftsmanship
By Nick Vinson Published
-
Playful design codes rule in this London Victorian family home
2LG Studio embraces colour and comfort in an extensive renovation of a Victorian family home
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Design at the White House: the creatives working with US Presidents past and present
Interior designers, fashion designers and artists, whose collaborators have included the White House and its residents, with commissions that range from interior refits to presidential portraits
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
Essx store opens in New York’s Lower East Side
Essx is a new concept and community store by local architecture firm Leong Leong and designer Yossi Shetrit
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
Eastside Bowl scores big with a maximalist postmodern aesthetic
Designed by Cowboy Creative, Eastside Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee, combines American nostalgia and southern charm
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
The Design Parade kicks off a creative Summer in the French Mediterranean
Design Parade 2023, set between Hyères and Toulon until the fall, features a showcase of design by emerging and established talent
By Jean Grogan Last updated
-
This Los Angeles bolthole by Masastudio and Kelly Wearstler is a carefully considered gem
Laid out like a village, the first collaboration between LA-based Masastudio and Kelly Wearstler is a sculptural family home inspired by Mediterranean architecture
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
Building Salmon Creek Farm: inside California’s ultimate creative retreat
Salmon Creek Farm's founder, the architecture-trained artist Fritz Haeg, opens the doors to his cultural commune and tells us its story
By Fritz Haeg Published