Black Panther: Wakanda Forever set photo courtesy of Marvel Studios (top); Ashanti, Boraatii, and Dogon stools by Jomo Tariku (bottom).
2022 has been an excellent year for Jomo Tariku. After receiving this year’s Black Artist + Designers Guild Maker Award, Tariku is making his big-screen debut by having four of his pieces featured in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. For the Ethiopian American designer—who is known for making pieces that pay homage to his African heritage—the collaboration was clandestine.
“I was confident they’d call one day because my work was featured at the Afrofuturist Period Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was curated by [Black Panther’s production designer] Hannah Beachler,” he explains. “Still, I feel lucky and honored to be [featured].”
Nyala Chairs.
When the Marvel Cinematic Universe called, they asked for five of Tariku’s popular pieces. Topping the list was the Nyala Chair, which has hand-carved armrests and legs as well as a back that resembles an antelope. Wakanda citizens would also perch on the Mukecha, an end table-cum-stool inspired by African mortars. The Ashanti and Boraatii styles are modern iterations of classic pieces from Ghana and Ethiopia, respectively, while the geometric Dogon surface pays homage to traditional Mali furniture.
“They didn’t want them finished or anything because, at the end of the day, they’re props,” he explains. “But, I was surprised to see that they actually painted them—and I like the color schemes! I have black versions of the stools, but they painted each of the inner sides a different color, which I thought was pretty cool.”
Mukecha Stool.
As Tariku’s big year proves, there is success long after the movie credits roll. This December, he will be showcasing four styles—including one new piece—at Design Miami. However, when you ask Tariku about his productive year, he says that his success is just a piece of a larger picture.
“I don’t only see it as being great to be featured in a blockbuster movie,” Tariku says, “We [collectively] work hard to make sure Black designers are represented. I recently presented at a local college, and one Black student expressed how good it was to hear from a Black designer. That’s not something I could’ve said when I was a student.”
Alongside other Black talents—whose works were also featured in Wakanda Forever—Tariku is “working to change the big picture of the design cannon.”
Cover image courtesy of Marvel Studios.
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