Ethiopian-American furniture designer, Jomo Tariku grew up in Kenya; he sketched pictures of unique furniture that his diplomat father brought home from his trips around Africa. What nurtured a love of these objects led him to become a furniture maker. Whilst attending university in the USA, he discovered that international design magazines focused mainly on European styles and influences.
This realization was shocking to Jomo leading him to cultivate a furniture line inspired by the geometric forms found in Aksum for his design thesis and to focus on African inspired and themed designs. In 2018, New York–based designer Malene Barnett invited him to become a founding member of the Black Artists and Designers Guild (BADG), created to connect Black creatives and enable wider visibility. This helped highlight his furniture to a wider audience.
Recently, Jomo received a letter from former V.P. Kamala Harris that she had proudly displayed two of his chairs (the Nyala and MeQuamy) inside her official residence at the Naval Observatory.
Jomo’s Meedo chair was included in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Afrofuturist Period Room and five of his designs were part of the set of Marvel’s 2022 film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The MoMA Design Store carries the Ashanti Stool as a modern take on the Akan chief ceremonial seats used in 19th-and 20th-century Ghana. The stool has also been added to MOMA’s permanent collection.
Jomo Tariku is defining a new design languageof modern African-themed furniture. Synthesizing his experience and love for Africa’s diverse cultures, historical structures, architecture, traditional furniture, colors, artifacts, landscapes, wildlife and hair styles, Jomo seeks to engage his audience in a design conversation transcending time.
Instagram: instagram.com/jomofurniture
For public speaking and lecture contact hello@jomotariku.com
Sources: www.jomofurniture.com/about.html
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jomo-tariku-637187145/