Jomo Tariku

Exhibited at DESIGN MIAMI. 2023 Kundung Pembe chair is my first foray into using bronze for my designs. It is an exploration of what can be made out of metal, marking a departure from using primarily wood and occasionally plastic. Bronze is one of the oldest materials used throughout Africa, from the Bronze Head of Ife in Nigeria to Coptic crosses and Mequmya (prayer staff) in Ethiopia. Similar to bronze’s versatility in crafting various items, the repurposing of the “cattle horn” from slaughtered animals serves as a crucial resource for producing essential items such as drinking vessels, beads for jewelry, combs, utensils, horns, home decorations, weapons, and musical instruments like the Kundung xylophones from Nigeria, which I saw for the first time on “Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever” documentary. Unlike the Nyala chair which was inspired by the silhouette of the wild animal’s curvaceous horns, this new work is a synthesis of many different shapes of “cattle horn”.The design is attributed to a broader inspiration on the continent, hence the name reflects a fusion of two words from different regions of Africa: Kundung from Nigeria and Pembe, the Swahili word for horn from Eastern Africa. The design process: When presented with the opportunity by Wexler Gallery to explore bronze as a medium, I chose to further develop the Kundung Pembe chair concept conceived a couple of years ago. Although the initial sketch captured a profile I really liked, transforming it from a slender concept sketch into three dimensional art became a big challenge; my goal was aimed at conveying both artistic and industrial design facets resulting in a functional piece of art. As a result, adjustments to accommodate seating progressively changed the design, sometimes going in a direction I didn’t intend. After many iterations the final design became the one I took to the finish line. Unlike the very first sketch that had very clean and geometric conical shapes for both the seat and its two front legs, the final design is a derivative of both organically shaped horns for the legs while maintaining the original design for the seat. This approach kept the essence of my original design while introducing a very animalistic look, with a posture that looks alive and about to walk away. Materials: bronze with velvet.