Togo's Palais de Lomé presents exhibition of west African design
Objects and installations that demonstrate the scope and diversity of west African design are on display as part of an exhibition curated by Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte for the Palais de Lomé arts centre in Lomé, Togo.
Design in West Africa: Unity in Multiplicity features a lineup of 22 artists and designers, whose work spans different styles and mediums from sculptural furniture to textiles, ceramics and conceptual installations.
Curator Bellavance-Lecompte, known for founding collectible design fair Nomad, and Palais de Lomé director Sonia Lawson set out to establish a new initiative that celebrates the region's creative diversity while also highlighting shared traditions and values.
"The exhibition affirms the role of design as a language of resistance, memory and vision, revealing the enduring ability of artists from the continent to build bridges between ancestral heritage and contemporary forms," the duo said.
The designers and artists showcased come from Mali, Togo, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast, with notable names including Ivorian architect and former Dezeen Awards judge Issa Diabaté, as well as Rym Beydoun, founder of textile brand Super Yaya.
The show's key themes include storytelling through craftsmanship and the harmonious coexistence of different perspectives and cultures, as well as exploring ideas around Africa's future.
Several of the works were informed by geographically specific cultural references, among them a series of low seats by Togolese artist Kossi Assou that evoke the Sahel region's tradition of communal dining.
The exhibition also highlights aspects of shared history, including links to slavery. A large table by Togolese artist Steven Kwami Dodji Agbétoglo features eight unique legs, each representing a different community of former slaves united through shared experiences.
A variety of traditional and contemporary cultural influences are represented by the works on show.
Clay sculptures by Ghanaian artist Kobina Adusah, for example, draw inspiration from Akan mythology, while designer Hamed Ouattara's upcycled pieces reflect the evolving sociopolitical climate in Burkina Faso.
Nifemi Marcus-Bello, whose previous work includes a bamboo pavilion for a Lagos skateboarding company, is showing his cast-aluminium furniture, which pays homage to the vernacular fabrication of second-hand car parts in Lagos.
Through the broad scope of pieces on display, the exhibition team hopes to celebrate "the diversity of materials and creative processes, as well as the richness of cultural references, countries of origin and backgrounds of the artists and designers".
Other designers represented in the exhibition include Senegalese woodworker Balla Niang, Mali's Aboubakar Fofana and Cheick Diallo; Togo's Amivi Homawoo, Afi Elikplim Akogonya, Estelle Yomeda, Tete Azonkpo, Affiavi and Gona; and Ghana's Michael Tetteh, Paa Joe and Serge Clottey.
Some of the artists featured in the exhibition also contributed to a showcase of chairs from across Africa that was presented as part of the inaugural Design Week South Africa in 2024.
Design in West Africa runs until 15 March 2026 at the Palais de Lomé. The art centre opened in 2020 with a retrospective exhibition of work by industrial designer Kossi Aguessy, who is also represented in the current exhibition.
The building, located in the Togolese capital Lomé, was constructed at the start of the 20th century by colonial German settlers and was comprehensively renovated in 2019 to create an institution dedicated to contemporary art, heritage and biodiversity.
The photography is by Matthieu Salvaing.
Design in West Africa takes place until 15 March at Palais de Lomé in Lomé, Togo. See Dezeen Events Guide for information about the event, plus other architecture and design events taking place around the world.
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