伦敦艺术家多彩空间 | 艺术与生活的共生

Location: 17-19 Sunbeam Rd, London NW10 6JP, UK

Design: Yinka Ilori, Sam Jacob Studio

Designed in collaboration with Sam Jacob of Sam Jacob Studio, Artist Yinka Ilori's Park Royal, London, showroom-cum-workspace embodies the same vibrant, bold-hued approach as his art.

Key features

To design his new studio-cum-showroom, multidisciplinary artist and designer Yinka Ilori collaborated with Sam Jacob of Sam Jacob Studio. Located in the Park Royal neighbourhood of London, the space is a vibrantly hued welcome addition to the mainly industrial character of the area. Drawing on the artist's British-Nigerian heritage as well as his experience growing up in a council estate in the nearby area of Islington, the design brief called for the space to be both colourful and communal – two of Ilori's main artistic tenets. He wanted to create an open environment which enabled artistic exchange and facilitated community – especially in the wake of the pandemic – while also operating as a meeting space for clients and curators.

Three distinct areas were integrated into the space: workstations and an office, exhibition and archive space and a communal table and kitchen. Partitions, curtains and sliding doors form modular and temporary spaces allowing the space to flexibly adapt between its various functions. A bright range of colours found in Nigerian textiles like shades of blue, pink, yellow and red layer the studio. The playful nature of the space is bolstered by whimsical forms such as arched doorways. Some of the artist's archival works are also displayed alongside his studio's current offerings.

Frame's take

There is a clear aesthetic embodiment of Ilori's art in the Park Royal studio-exhibition space. An archetypal art gallery space is usually toned down; neutral-toned walls, floors and fixtures allow the space to take the backseat to the artworks on display, but Ilori's multipurpose creative space takes quite the opposite approach. For an artist whose style is so distinctly playful, his studio space does not merely occupy the role of a blank canvas to showcase works but instead reflects the character and essence of them. This bold approach not only clearly communicates the studio's signature style but equips those who occupy it – whether it be employees or visitors – with the tools to create or interact with the art.