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Nifemi Marcus-Bello discovered the joy of entrepreneurship and creative thinking at a young age. When he was 13 and at school in Lagos, his mother introduced him to a group of local welders and carpenters, and he began a three-month apprenticeship, learning to design and weld metal objects. He then studied industrial and product design in Leeds (UK) and, in 2017, founded his own studio. In subsequent years, his furniture and lighting designs have attracted international attention for their innovative use of local industrial materials. A series of objects use the sheet metal normally found on generator boxes, resulting in Selah, a combination lamp and seat, and an abstractly shaped stool. Meanwhile, a bookshelf design used local African mahogany.
Marcus BelloThe lo-fi approach to materials and construction is increasingly relevant. His approach earned him the Hublot LVMH Design Award in 2022 and the Design Miami Curator’s Choice Design For Good award last year. “There’s a bit of roughness and tactility to my pieces, so they feel human,” he says. “Large companies come to me because they want to give an emotional side to the objects they make.”
This year, it has produced a new version of its Selah lamp in collaboration with Madrid-based design studio Caliper, creating a foldable edition with an adjustable bulb and a bright yellow shade. He has also entered the burgeoning Lagos streetwear scene with a design for an Amsterdam-based brand. pattaThe first store in the city. Based in the new Trocadero Square shopping center in central Lekki, a former dilapidated residential area, it is part of a growing community of creative stalls including the Nike Art Gallerya handful of swanky record label offices and a new skatepark designed and built by Nigeria’s first skate company, waffle cream.
Nike x Patta Running Team Sports Jacket, £134.99
TO Stussy x Patta sweater from their collaboration sold out this summer
When creating a vision for the Patta store as a designer and partner, Marcus-Bello sought to create a flexible store space that could adapt to different uses. It was essential that the store could function as both retail and a venue for community events – the modular fixtures can be moved or cleaned as needed. Patta’s sneakers, for example, are displayed on its adjustable paper airplane shelves, zigzag sheets of metal that almost appear to float on metal rods. The inspiration came from the paper airplanes he used to make in high school and he came up with a design that he knew his favorite metal factory in Lagos could produce. “I wanted to keep it as simple as possible,” says Marcus-Bello. “It’s a store and the aesthetics of the clothes should stand out.” Marcus-Bello posted the design on her Instagram and was met with a flood of direct messages asking where the shelves could be purchased.
By 2025, Marcus-Bello is focused on delivering the third and final chapter of its Oríkì Design Series. The project began as an investigation of materials and production techniques in different cities in Nigeria, with the aim of creating new objects and forms. He is putting the finishing touches on an exhibition in marta gallery which will be showcased during Frieze LA next February. “This year has brought me a lot of clarity and understanding that the processes and ideologies I use in Lagos can be beneficial on a larger scale,” he says. Growing interest from European and American furniture companies suggests he’s right. “They’re reaching out and being very clear that they want me to be me.”