Cristea Roberts Gallery is delighted to announce an exhibition of new work by Yinka Ilori MBE (b. 1987), the British Nigerian artist and designer’s first solo gallery exhibition in his home city, London. Over the past decade, Ilori has developed a truly multi-disciplinary practice, blending expertise in architecture, sculpture, furniture, and both interior and graphic design. Often utilising the city as a canvas, his murals, pavilions, and architectural interventions are celebrated for fostering a deep sense of community. Ilori’s work leverages the power of storytelling to bridge divides, fostering meaningful connections between individuals and the world around them. Yinka Ilori:...
Cristea Roberts Gallery is delighted to announce an exhibition of new work by Yinka Ilori MBE (b. 1987), the British Nigerian artist and designer’s first solo gallery exhibition in his home city, London.
Over the past decade, Ilori has developed a truly multi-disciplinary practice, blending expertise in architecture, sculpture, furniture, and both interior and graphic design. Often utilising the city as a canvas, his murals, pavilions, and architectural interventions are celebrated for fostering a deep sense of community. Ilori’s work leverages the power of storytelling to bridge divides, fostering meaningful connections between individuals and the world around them.
Yinka Ilori: Joy Through Resistance represents Ilori’s most personal presentation to date, featuring over 20 new and recent works across painting, print, sculpture, and sound installations.
Inspired by his British Nigerian heritage and the vibrant energy of communal gatherings, the exhibition serves as a narrative of joy through resistance. By weaving together floral motifs, the cultural symbolism of lace, and the rhythmic presence of musical instruments, Ilori explores the defiance required to push back against racial discrimination and societal barriers - ultimately celebrating the power of transforming hardship into communal strength and uplift.
Through sculptural objects and a sound installation, visitors are invited into a space of worship where traditional instruments, including handmade congas, a vibrant custom-made shekere, and a drumkit, are enveloped in lace. New prints and paintings are inspired by the universally recognised symbol of the flower. In a dialogue between his dual identities, a new group of screenprints by Ilori depicts Nigeria’s national flower, the Costus spectabilis (known as the yellow trumpet), alongside the common daffodil, native to the UK.
This immersive site of storytelling invites the public to explore the intersection of resilience and joy through Ilori’s unique artistic lens.
