Ini Archibong

Swiss-American artist and designer

Ini Archibong

Born| 1983
Pasadena
Alma mater|

* ArtCenter College of Design
* École cantonale d'art de Lausanne

Occupation| Designer, artist, writer
Employer|

* Eight Inc.
* Bernhardt Design
* Diageo
* Hermès
* Knoll
* Logitech
* Terry Crews

Family| Koko Archibong
Website| https://www.designbyini.com/

[edit on Wikidata]

Inimfon "Ini" Joshua Archibong (born 23 June 1983)[1] is an industrial designer, creative director, artist and musician who is active in product design, furniture design, environmental design, architecture, watch design, and fashion.[2][3]

Archibong's work reflects an interest in master-craftsmanship and its relationship to modern and ancient technology. It is inspired by the study of architecture, environmental and product design, as well as mathematics, philosophy and world religions.[4][5] He has said about the relationship between art and design, "The idea that something has to be useless in order to be art is something I reject."[6]

## Early life and education[edit]

The son of Nigerian parents who emigrated to the United States as academic scholars, Archibong was born in Pasadena, California.[3][7] He attended and was graduated from the Polytechnic School, then briefly attended the USC business school before dropping out.[8][9][10] He subsequently enrolled at ArtCenter College of Design where he was both an Edwards Entrance Scholar and an Art Center Outreach Grant recipient, was also named the 2010 Student Designer of the Year,[11] and from which he received a degree in Environmental Design.[12][13]

After graduation, he joined Tim Kobe's Eight Inc. [de] in Singapore, before continuing his studies at the École Cantonale d'Art de Lausanne (ÉCAL), where he earned a master's of advanced studies in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship.[14][15][16]

## Career[edit]

Vernus 3, on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition, Before Yesterday We Could Fly

Archibong began exhibiting his work at the Milan Furniture Fair in the mid-2010s. His 2016 furniture collection titled "The Secret Garden" was produced with the support of the actor Terry Crews.[17][18] This was followed by several exhibitions of his furniture designs for Sé Collections at the Rossana Orlandi gallery.[19][20] He began an ongoing collaboration with the Knoll furniture company in 2018 creating designs such as the "Iquo Cafe Collection".[21] In 2019 Hermès began marketing Archibong's "Galop d'Hermès" wristwatch.[22][14] In 2020, Archibong started working on the creation of sculptural pieces for a solo exhibition at the Friedman Benda Gallery in New York.[23]

In addition to his artwork and design practice, Archibong has taught at several design institutions and is a visiting professor at his alma mater ÉCAL, and has also taught at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne and the National University of Singapore in Singapore.[24][25] He has also lectured and spoken internationally including at the College Art Association conference, USC School of Architecture, and in Dubai and Design Indaba in Cape Town.[26][27][28][29]

In 2019, along with business development collaborations with Benjamin de Haan, Archibong founded L.M.N.O. CREATIVE, a multi-disciplinary design collective. The collective includes fellow graduates from Pasadena's ArtCenter, Jori Brown and Maxwell Engelmann, as well as designer Ebony Lerandy, who studied under Archibong at ÉCAL.[30]

Other clients include companies such as de Sede, Bernhardt Design, Diageo, and Logitech.[31][32][33]

## Awards and exhibitions[edit]

He is the recipient of the ICFF Studio Award, Best of NeoCon Silver, International Woodworking Fair's Design Emphasis Award, ICFF's American Student Designer of the Year Award, and the 2019 Elle Deco American Design Award.[34][29] In 2019, he received Distinguished Alumni awards from both ArtCenter and Polytechnic in his hometown of Pasadena.[35][36]

Archibong's work has been exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery in Pasadena, Galerie Triode in Paris, the Museo Bagatti Valsecchi in Milan, Spazio Rossana Orlandi in Milan, Design Indaba in Cape Town, the Dallas Museum of Art, the High Museum in Atlanta, and the Design Museum in London.[37][38][39]

His design for a Pavilion of the African Diaspora (PoAD) won the Best Design Medal at the London Design Biennale at Somerset House in June 2021.[40][41] In the same year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET)[42] in New York acquired his "Orion" table, "Atlas" chair and "Vernus 3" chandelier for its Afrofuturist Period Room.[43]

The 2021 exhibition "Emphatic: Discovering a Glass Legacy" at Punta Conterie Gallery in Murano included works by Archibong, as well as the designers Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, GamFratesi, Benjamin Hubert, Richard Hutten, Luca Nichetto, Elena Salmistraro, and Marc Thorpe.[44]

In 2022 the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) added Archibong's "Switch" table to its permanent collection.[45] The table also featured in his second solo show, titled "Narthex", at the Friendman Benda gallery in Los Angeles.[46][47] His Iquo Cafe Collection for Knoll received a Good Design award in 2022.[48][49]

In 2023 Archibong's work was included in the exhibition Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth at Chatsworth House.[50][51][52][53]

## Writing[edit]

The New York Times published an essay by Archibong titled "Ini Archibong: What We Believe About Storytelling" in 2021.[54] The essay is part of a series called The Big Ideas: What Do We Believe,[55] which also includes essays by Agnes Callard, Garry Kasparov, T.M. Luhrmann, Harry Reid, and Carlo Rovelli, amongst others. This work was later published in a compendium titled Question Everything: A Stone Reader.[56]

## Personal life[edit]

Archibong lives and works in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.[30] He has a daughter.[2] He is the younger brother of Olympic athlete Koko Archibong.[57]

## See also[edit]

* Notable Alumni, Polytechnic School
* List of ArtCenter College of Design people
* Notable alumni, École cantonale d'art de Lausanne
* Notable Designers, Knoll, Inc.

## Publications[edit]

* Speechless: different by design. Schleuning, Sarah (2019). Dallas Museum of Art, High Museum of Art. Shapco Printing, Dallas, Texas. ISBN 978-0-300-24703-9. OCLC 1139707385.[58]
* The ECAL manual of style: how to best teach design today?. Jonathan Olivares, Alexis Georgacopoulos (2022). Phaidon Press, London. ISBN 978-1-83866-517-3. OCLC 1280602474.[59]
* Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room. Ian Alteveer, Hannah Beachler, Sarah E. Lawrence, (2022). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. ISBN 978-1-58839-745-4[60]
* Question everything: a Stone reader. Peter Catapano, Simon Critchley (2022). Liveright, New York. ISBN 978-1-324-09183-7. OCLC 1347117429.[61]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Ini Archibong". IMDb. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
2. ^ a b "Designer Ini Archibong Shares a Glimpse Into His World, in Photographs". The New York Times. 2019-03-21. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
3. ^ a b Swithinbank, Robin (2019-03-20). "A Hermès Watch for Any Gender". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
4. ^ "The Breakout Year of Ini Archibong". SURFACE. 2019-09-23. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
5. ^ "Ini Archibong | Connected". connectedbydesign.online. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
6. ^ Robertson, Emma. "INI ARCHIBONG: "I HAVE TO STAY SPIRITUALLY IN TUNE"". The Talks. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
7. ^ Olley, Cat (2022-03-02). "Ini Archibong introduces us to his all-time favourite object". ELLE Decoration. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
8. ^ "Poly Alumni Association nominates 2019 Distinguished Alumnus – Ini Archibong '01". Polytechnic School. 2019-07-23. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
9. ^ Didero, Maria Cristina. "Interview with Ini Archibong, artist of the future-present". www.domusweb.it. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
10. ^ London, Eli (2022-10-19). "Ini Archibong: a multi-disciplinary master of design". Courier. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
11. ^ Gold, Jered (2010-05-05). "Archibong Named Student Designer of the Year". ArtCenter News. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
12. ^ "Ini Archibong". ArtCenter College of Design. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
13. ^ "How Los Angeles Shaped Ini Archibong's Unique Design Vision". Azure Magazine. 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
14. ^ a b "Introducing Ini Archibong, Hermès' Latest Watchmaking Wunderkind". British Vogue. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
15. ^ "INTERVIEW: Designer Ini Archibong On Making "Three-Dimensional Poetry"". Pin-Up Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
16. ^ "WDO | Changemakers 2022: Ini Archibong is Making Space for Design Storytelling". Retrieved 2023-03-13.
17. ^ Dameron, Amanda (2019-10-03). "Designer Ini Archibong Finds A Patron in Actor Terry Crews". Dwell. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
18. ^ Derringer, Jaime (2016-07-01). "In The Secret Garden by Ini Archibong for Amen&Amen". Design Milk. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
19. ^ "Ini Archibong's debut collection for Sé explores delicacy and strength". Encyclopedia of Design. 2021-10-03. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
20. ^ "Ini Archibong". Rossana Orlandi. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
21. ^ "Form Language: A Conversation Between Ini Archibong and Norman Teague | k. talks Replay | Knoll". www.knoll.com. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
22. ^ "An Equestrian Sensibility and a New Collaboration Underpin Hermès's Latest Watch, Galop d'Hermès". Artnet News. 2019-02-01. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
23. ^ Bury, Martine. "Thirty-Six-Year-Old Ini Archibong's Designs Are History in the Making". CSQ.
24. ^ "ECAL – STUDIES – MASTER OF ADVANCED STUDIES – DESIGN FOR LUXURY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP – Presentation". Ecal. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
25. ^ "Innovation Entrepreneurship for Design Students". INDESIGNLIVE SINGAPORE | Daily Connection to Architecture and Design. 2014-02-17. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
26. ^ "Designer Ini Archibong on merging myth and reality to create The Secret Garden". Design Indaba. 25 March 2019.
27. ^ "Creativity is contagious: 4 talks not to be missed at Design Indaba 2018". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
28. ^ "Dubai Design Week | The Culture of Collaboration". Dubai Design Week. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
29. ^ a b "Ini Archibong | Dezeen Awards | Judges". Dezeen. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
30. ^ a b Wallis, Stephen (2021-02-05). "Designer Ini Archibong Reveals Inspiration Behind His Forthcoming London Biennale Installation". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
31. ^ Leadership, Creativity and the Logitech Story, retrieved 2021-03-26
32. ^ "A Look at Hermès' Unique Approach to Watchmaking". Prestige Online – Hong Kong. 2021-01-06. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
33. ^ "Ini Archibong and Trey Ratcliff Release Ultra-Rare Casks With Diageo and Sotheby's". Whitewall. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
34. ^ "See the Winners of ELLE Decor's American Design Awards for 2019". ELLE Decor. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
35. ^ "ArtCenter College of Design Honors Doug Aitken, Sterling Ruby, and Others with Alumni Awards". Artforum. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
36. ^ "Ini Archibong '01 honored on campus as Distinguished Alumnus of the Year". Polytechnic School. 2019-11-30. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
37. ^ "Ini Archibong". Rossana Orlandi. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
38. ^ "Connected". Design Museum. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
39. ^ "Ini Archibong updates Theoracle installation to comment on racial injustice". Dezeen. 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
40. ^ "Ini Archibong unveils Pavilion of the African Diaspora". Wallpaper*. 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
41. ^ "The Pavilion of the African Diaspora (PoAD)". London Design Biennale. 6 August 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
42. ^ Archibong, Ini (2022-01-26). "AFPR—Meet The Artists: Ini Archibong". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
43. ^ "Ini Archibong MET Museum Collection". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
44. ^ Orio, Roberta (2021-09-16). "Luca Nichetto conquers Murano with an exhibition on glass". Domus Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
45. ^ "DA2 2022: Recent Decorative Arts and Design Acquisitions". Unframed. 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
46. ^ "INI ARCHIBONG: NARTHEX – Friedman Benda". Retrieved 2023-03-13.
47. ^ "Ini Archibong solo exhibition now on view at Friedman Benda Gallery". artdaily.com. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
48. ^ "The Good Design Awards, 2022, Iquo Cafe Collection". www.good-designawards.com. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
49. ^ "The European Centre". www.europeanarch.eu. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
50. ^ "Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth". www.chatsworth.org. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
51. ^ Himelfarb, Ellen (2023-03-03). "These British manors have become modern art destinations". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
52. ^ Bertoli, Rosa (2023-03-17). "Chatsworth House design exhibition explores contemporary design themes in an eclectic setting". wallpaper.com. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
53. ^ Madlener, Adrian (2023-03-17). "How Can You Make an English Manor Filled With Old Masters Feel Contemporary? At Chatsworth House, the Answer Is Cutting-Edge Design". Artnet News. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
54. ^ Archibong, Ini (2021-06-01). "Ini Archibong: What We Believe About Storytelling". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
55. ^ "The Big Ideas: What Do We Believe?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
56. ^ Catapano, Peter, ed. (2022). Question Everything: A Stone Reader (1st ed.). W. W. Norton (Liverlight). pp. 83–86. ISBN 978-1-324-09183-7.
57. ^ Reddinger, Paige (2019-09-01). "Design Maven Ini Archibong on His Hermès Watch Collection, Vinyl Records and Favorite Cocktail". Robb Report. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
58. ^ Schleuning, Sarah (2019). Speechless : different by design. Andrea Gollin, Laurie Haycock Makela, Ina Archibong, Misha Kahn, Yuri Suzuki, Matt Checkowski, Eric Zeidler, Steven and William Ladd, Dallas Museum of Art, High Museum of Art, Shapco Printing. Dallas, Texas. ISBN 978-0-300-24703-9. OCLC 1139707385.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
59. ^ The ECAL manual of style : how to best teach design today?. Jonathan Olivares, Alexis Georgacopoulos. London. 2022. ISBN 978-1-83866-517-3. OCLC 1280602474.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
60. ^ Alteveer, Ian; Beachler, Hannah; Lawrence, Sarah; Commander, Michelle D. (2022-02-04). Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-1-58839-745-4.
61. ^ Question everything : a Stone reader. Peter Catapano, Simon Critchley (1 ed.). New York. 2022. ISBN 978-1-324-09183-7. OCLC 1347117429.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)

## External links[edit]

* Official website
* Ini Archibong - Friedman Benda
* Meet The Artists: Ini Archibong (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
* Pavilion of the African Diaspora | London Design Biennale
* Ini Archibong: Making the Chair BBC World Service radio documentary