Brightly coloured chairs and personal memorabilia feature in the Parables for Happiness exhibition showcasing the works of London-based designer Yinka Ilori at the Design Museum.
Opened during London Design Festival, the exhibition is the first major display of Ilori's vast number of vibrant designs, including graphic murals, furniture and public installations.
Ilori started his career designing chairs
One of Ilori's chair designs is presented in a line-up of iconic and recognisable chairs with the aim of giving context to his work. Included in the display is the RCP2 chair by Jane Atfield, who was Ilori's tutor at university.
"One of the reasons I started designing was because of a brief given by Jane Atfield called Our Chair," Ilori told Dezeen. "Purely because of her brief is why I started designing chairs when I finished uni." A chair designed by David Adjaye is exhibited alongside Ilori's work
Another chair on display is the Washington Skeleton Side Chair designed by British-Ghanian architect David Adjaye, who Ilori credits with having "opened doors for designers like me".
"Over the years, my work has gained recognition for the strong use of colour, pattern and narrative that comes from my Nigerian heritage," said Ilori. "However, it has often deviated from design trends and has been misunderstood"
"This display charts my inspirations and creative journey as I transitioned from furniture design to community-dri...