At the union of generations, cultures and identities, the idea behind this bench is rooted in fostering connections.
Connections to each other, connections to heritage and connections to ourselves. The design encourages an encounter with the social and cultural be it through dialogue, sitting or playing in a way that harnesses memory. Egesi aimed to reclaim and transform any museum-like theatrics of ‘African culture’ by fusing a sense home with a contemporary landscape, his interpretation of a language that today's “modern African” may be familiar with. Locally sourced Mahogany wood representing the indigenous carving tradition of African artefacts makes the interior of this bench, before a sleek glass-like encasement is introduced on its exterior. As ‘achieving balance’ was a starting point of the design blueprint, the carved ayo game on the far right is counterbalanced with a magazine holder on the far left.
Since its inception, the Ayo bench has been exhibited at Design Week Lagos 2022 and was
selected to feature at Salone Del Mobile 2022 and 2024.
Ike and Sons is a studio which continues to champion modern and contemporary design
from Africa and looks forward to sharing more stories of African heritage with a global
audience.