
Nifemi Marcus-Bello Celebrates Ancient African Practices in His First U.S Exhibition
On a hot February noon, California’s sun peels into the glass bars of Marta Los Angeles, unveiling an installation where culture meets design. A mother’s voice, thick with fluent Yoruba—spoken widely in Nigeria—echoes around the room, singing praises to her child. The “Friction Ridge” exhibition, which runs through March 4, 2023, by Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello is a combination of two installations—a set of bronze benches and a sound installation of Marcus-Bello’s mother. In the sound installation, his mother sings his personal Óríkì, poetry chanted in Yoruba that shines a light on the virtues and achievement of a child and references the power they possess.
Marcus-Bello’s designs have always been rooted in deep historical and cultural perspectives and this installation is no different.
For inspiration, the designer turned to two different regions in Africa, examining the east and west. Understanding the artistic and cultural expressions of body painting, which is synonymous with the Surma tribe of Ethiopia in East Africa, his work reflects a chalk ritual performed with the thumb to celebrate the bonds of friendship between individuals in the tribe. Marcus-Bello also sought inspiration from the craftsmanship of the ancient Benin kingdom of West Africa through a century-long, wax-casting technique used for the creation of royal portraits.
During production, Marcus-Bello worked side-by-side with artisans in Lagos, Nigeria, and Benin. In reference to the Surma tribe, both the designer and the artisans thumbed down clay on the surface texture of the bench, thereby creating a silicone mold. To honor the traditions of the Benin Kingdom, they used a lost wax casting technique to invent the curved form of the bronze bench.
By interweaving these different cultural practices and expressions, Marcus-Bello aims to celebrate the interconnectivity of African designs, erase its monolithic ideologies, and carve a decentralized yet unified aesthetic.





read more
DesignWire
10 Questions With… Nifemi Marcus-Bello
Interior Design chats with Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus Bello about his career and the release of his M2 shelves.
DesignWire
7 Black Artists Offer a Dialogue on Freedom in This Exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas
An exhibition seeks a nuanced understanding of what freedom and agency look like for Black Americans in 2023.
DesignWire
10 Questions With… Titi Ogufere, Founder of Design Week Lagos
Here, multi-hyphenate Titi Ogufere shares with Interior Design the beginnings of Design Week Lagos, insights into African design traditions, and hints at the future of her project with Netflix.
recent stories
DesignWire
Cindy Allen x Allen Stone: Music Meets Design In The High Desert
Watch a video clip showcasing music and design as Allen Stone records an ethereal take on his hit song “Sweet Little Rainbows” in a storied Joshua Tree home.
DesignWire
Shakers In Shape: The Enduring Legacy Of A Radical Design Culture
Peek at Formafantasma’s new exhibit at the Vitra Design Museum, which goes in depth into the full creative output of the Shaker movement.
DesignWire
Lauren Rottet Invites Serenity Into The Newport Art Museum
Lauren Rottet creates a serene space in conversation with artist Bobby Anspach’s current exhibition at the Newport Art Museum.