Architect India Mahdavi and artist Yinka Shonibare partner on a redesign of the iconic restaurant.
Words: Kristofer Thomas
Photography: Edmund Dabney
A collaborative redesign of the gallery dining room at London’s Sketch restaurant, by artist Yinka Shonibare and architect India Mahdavi, sees the vibrancy of African prints and patterns redefine the conventions of metropolitan fine-dining aesthetics.
Orbiting a series of 15 bespoke artworks by Shonibare, the scheme takes cues from shades of warm sunshine yellow found within these pieces as well as the rich textures of African wooden masks collected by Pablo Picasso. A zig-zagging arrangement of chevron ceramic tiles underfoot similarly recalls the vital energy of retro African fashion movements.
Replacing the pale pink scheme that characterised the space for close to a decade, this new lease of life remains just as Instagram-friendly, albeit with much more of a focus on materiality. A shining metallic copper cover for the bar-back is offset by the muted fabrics of framed quilts for instance, whilst woven raffia from Senegal and Ghanaian wicker both add further layers of tactility.
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