Founded by Ifeanyi Oganwu, Expand Design Ltd is a London-based studio engaging in architecture and furniture design by investigating the correlation between history, base materials and opportunities presented by state-of-the-art fabrication techniques. Through our projects, we unearth unidentified typologies that are inspired by the past, grounded in the present, and on a journey to a new aesthetic domain.
Nadia Sesay. “Ifeanyi Oganwu’s ‘Cityscapes’ Debuts in Miami Art Week.” Blanc Modern, November 28, 2016
https://www.blancmodernafrica.com/blancculture/2016/11/ifeanyi-oganwus-cityscapes-in-miami-art-week
Vanessa García-Osuna. “Jewels with a Pedigree and its Own Name. A Calder on Your Jacket Lapel.” La Vanguardia, Magazine, Fashion & Arts, Spain. December 2016
PDF copy available to download via link below:
Cufflinks, 9KT Rose Gold, 2016
15 x 17 mm / 0.6 x 0.7 in
Edition of 12 + 2AP
Ring, 9KT Rose Gold, 2016
37 x 33 mm / 1.5 x 1.3 in
Edition of 12 + 2AP
Earrings, 9KT Rose Gold, 2016
45 x 23 mm / 1.8 x 0.9 in
Edition of 12 + 2AP
Cityscapes collection of wearable structures seeks to unify natural and manmade landscapes. Here, the functional support acts as a horizon line from which shards are reflected to create interactive elements with varying geometric intricacy.
Works in the collection include a double ring, large earrings, and a pair of cufflinks, all of which grow from aggregated clusters of folded shards – the primary unit of the designs which are inspired by metropolitan skylines mirrored on bodies of water.
Presented by Elisabetta Cipriani – Jewellery by Contemporary Artists.
Annabelle Birchenough. “Taking the Everyday, a Meeting with Ifeanyi Oganwu.” 1:54 Art Fair Editorial Feature, September 2016
http://1-54.com/london/taking-the-everyday-a-meeting-with-ifeanyi-oganwu-2/
PDF copy of expanded version available to download via link below:
Fleur Macdonald. “Between Design and Art at the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair.” TRUE Africa, October 8, 2016
http://trueafrica.co/article/behind-the-154-art-fair-lounge-the-designer-ifeanyi-oganwu/
Akinyi Ochieng. “Our 5 Favorite Highlights of 1:54 Contemporary African Fair London 2016.” Okayafrica International Edition, October 9, 2016
http://www.okayafrica.com/culture-2/5-favorite-highlights-1-54-contemporary-african-fair-london-2016/
Grace Banks. “1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair: The Eye of Modern Mali and More.” Wallpaper, October 16, 2016
http://www.wallpaper.com/art/154-contemporary-african-art-fair-highlights-london-edition
Talk – Waveforms, in conjunction with Phoebe Boswell and Princess Alia Al-Senussi.
Expanding on approach to collaborative practice, part of 1:54’s FORUM Series curated by Koyo Kouoh (Artistic Director, Raw Material Company, Dakar).
Date: Friday, October 7, 2016.
Listen HERE.
Photos by Victor Raison.
In collaboration with Galerie Armel Soyer, textile design firm Toghal, and visual artist Phoebe Boswell.
A series of special objects for the 2016 Edition of 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair, held at Somerset House, London.
The installation developed specific spatial devices to amplify the porosity between the exterior and interior of the main lounge. The external terraces were transformed into soft rooms from which to take in sights and sounds of London. Meanwhile, the lounge was defined by waveforms of various scales. In the bookshop, new works are adapted to explore both the circularity and vertical axis of the room; overall the dynamic presentations encouraged flexible use of the spaces.
Dates: Oct 6-9, 2016.
Additional Information:
Pedestal + Duniake, Moulded Birch Ply, Cotton with Digital Print, Linen, Foam, 2016
475 x 384 x 400 mm / 18.70 x 15.12 x 15.75 in
Edition of 200
In this new collaboration fusing art and design, tradition and modernity, the Duniake fabric of female bodies is inspired by the everyday language of the Kenyan khanga and was created by Phoebe Boswell, whose work combines the digital and exquisite draftswomanship in her personal exploration of ‘home’.
The Pedestal assembly elevates the presentation of the artist designed fabrics while disappearing into the background – this is achieved through the vocabulary of arches, which are ubiquitous in urban landscapes. The pair of cylindrical bolsters suggest an innovative approach to seating whilst appearing to be displaced or broken off from a larger assembly.
The Pedestal reduces the stool typology to its essential form, combining moulded plywood shells supported by a pair of vertical walls and an inclined brace that is partially visible on the side elevation.
Pedestool, Laminated Birch Ply, 2016
475 x 384 x 400 mm / 18.70 x 15.12 x 15.75 in
Edition of 10
In collaboration with Toghal UK.
