At Boma54, we’re all about celebrating the full, rich story of African design and not just the bits the world’s gotten used to seeing. You know what we mean: the safari-themed decor, the carved animal figurines, and the tribal-print everything. While those elements do exist and have their place, they’re only a tiny glimpse into the vast, layered world of design that comes from the continent and its diaspora. What excites us is the creativity that blends heritage with innovation, function with beauty, and tradition with bold, modern expression.
Across Africa, artisans and designers - whether formally trained or self-taught, they are pushing boundaries every day. They're drawing on generational knowledge, techniques passed from hand to hand, to create pieces that feel contemporary, yet deeply connected to their roots. Take pottery, for instance. In many communities, it’s made entirely by hand with no wheel or machine to assist- just the rhythm of coiling, shaping, and open-fire firing. These pieces carry more than food essentials; they carry stories, memory, and an intimate understanding of material.
Image Source: iMpepho | Visions for Dyalvane’s 2021 NYC | Andile Dyalvane
Designers like Andile Dyalvane are taking those same roots and turning them into powerful sculptural forms that sit just as comfortably in a gallery as in a home.
The same goes for furniture. One of the biggest misconceptions out there is that African furniture design means something overly rustic or themed. But if you’ve seen Jomo Tariku’s sculptural chairs inspired by East African forms, or Bibi Seck’s sleek, sustainable seating made from recycled materials, you know African design is anything but one-dimensional. It’s expressive. It’s thoughtful. And it’s global.
Image Source: Jomo Tariku | Nyala Chair | Jomo Tariku
We’re also seeing interior architects and designers from Nairobi to New York reimagine African spaces in ways that feel fresh and grounded. Kim Mupangilaï for example, blends Congolese influence with a minimalist edge that still feels warm, rooted, and deeply intentional. Their work reminds us that African interiors don’t need to follow any trend or fall into one look, they just need to feel like home.
Image Source: Kim Mupangilaï | Liso Stool I 2024 |
And that’s what we’re here for. At Boma54, we want to shift the conversation away from what’s expected and toward what’s true. We want to celebrate the artists, craftspeople, and visionaries who are shaping a more honest and exciting view of African design. We want everyday design lovers like you to feel confident stepping into that story.
You don’t need to be an expert to make a difference. Start by being curious. Choose pieces that tell a story. Support African-owned brands. Ask who made the item, what it’s made from, and why it looks the way it does. Mix African design into your home without turning it into a theme and let it live alongside your life, naturally. And most importantly, share what you learn. Every time you tell someone the story behind a piece in your space, you help shift the narrative. You help show that African design is not a moment or a trend.
We’re proud to be part of that movement. And we’re even prouder to be sharing it with you.
Image Source: M’Afrique Collection | Birsel + Seck | Bibi Seck