Luam Melake for CB2
Part of the Black in Design collection, launched July 13 2023.
Barber Chair
While walking around in Harlem, I started to notice that the many barbershops and salons in the area all seem to have similar chairs. They often feature tubular metal with heavy, channel tufted vinyl and look like they were designed between the 1950s and the 1970s. It occurred to me that the barbershop chair might be the only chair in America that more Black people have sat on than any other racial group. The chair itself is a stand-in for an entire community — a social space and a ritual that’s a part of the Black experience.
Available in brown leather and dark brown velvet.
Crossed Grid Jute Rug
A shaggy jute inspired by 1970s shag rugs and the woven grass floor mats found across the African continent.
Brique Textile Pattern
Textile Installation for lobby of
AC San Rafael, CA
Untitled Installation, 2023
Installation made of 4 panels
6 ft W x 12 ft H x 4 ft D overall
Located very near to Muir Woods National Monument—a spectacular redwood forest that I have spent much time visiting over the years—the installation is intended to evoke the atmospheric experience of wandering through an ancient living forest.
Tapestry Commission:
Port, Porte, Porter 2019
Handwoven by Manufacture Sénégalaise Des Arts Décoratifs, Thiès, Senegal.
Commissioned by Fondation Blachère, Apt, France
Project managed by Versant Sud, Marseille, France.
Port, Porte, Porter 2019
73.23 H x 66.34 W x 3.15 D inches
Port, Porte, Porter presents doors and ports as symbolic thresholds that lead to transformative experiences. Port access has a profound impact on shaping culture and commerce, especially in Africa where the continent has long benefited from international trade routes and has been marred by slavery and colonialism. The port is the site at which intercultural encounters begin and societies are reshaped by the exposure. Similarly, across several West African cultures the door is viewed as a portal through which one moves through architectural space and therefore through a series of experiences. Exposure to different settings—interior or exterior, public or private spaces— can affect us both physically and emotionally. While the door demarcates the beginning of a new experience for an individual, the port is the threshold through which societies mingle and cultural identities are transformed. The title translates from French to “port, door, to carry with you,” merging these metaphors through their common linguistic root.
The work brings innovation to the traditional Aubusson tapestry weaving technique through its three-dimensionality and materiality. Materials that reference the architecture depicted in the image are applied to the surface or woven into the work. As a result, the work exists at the intersection of painting, sculpture, textiles and architecture, continuing my interest in interdisciplinary approaches to craft.
Installation view, Sumegne / Ngaparou 2 at Fondation Blachère, France, October 15 2020 - September 25 2021. Photo by Jérémie Pitot.
Birdhouse Commission for Brooklyn Botanic Garden
“For the Birds” exhibition featuring birdhouses designed by architects, designers and artists.
Descendants, 2022
22 in. × 7.5 in. × 60 in.
My birdhouse is an assemblage of architectural elements and man-made objects that a variety of bird species seek out for perching and nesting. The work is a reminder that we coexist with nature even in the built environment and that the human impulse to create things comes from an animal instinct to survive and be comfortable. It is both a monument to the desire to survive as well as a future memorial to humanity, survived by their creations.
Award for Gaetano Pesce, 2023
Commissioned by Museum of Arts and Design, New York
