British-Nigerian designer Mimi Shodeinde’s work embodies the poetry of movement

A balancing act of “an artistic aesthetic with architectural discipline” is how British Nigerian artist and designer Mimi Shodeinde describes her work. The largely self-taught furniture designer founded her London-based interior design and furniture studio, Miminat Designs in 2015. She set up her practice while still in university and credits her mother for her entrepreneurial. Currently, the studio works with an ever-evolving network of collaborators and artisans across the globe, designing both interior pieces and spaces, that are infused with a softness of expression. Her entrepreneurial drive stems from her mother, as she remembers.

Shodeinde’s designs skillfully dovetail craftsmanship and innovation, breaking down the relationship between form and function. Often described as objects that lay in the crevasse between art and design, her designs are akin to poetry in which wood, metal, and leather take shape. Take for instance the Oscar series, which succinctly represents the visual language of her body of work. The Oscar Chair, crafted in oil-stained mahogany, is made up of elegant curvilinear surfaces and whiplash curves which seem to be frozen in motion. Similarly, the gentle curve of the Oscar Lamp captures the fluidity of form. To Shodeinde, furniture is a form of artistic expression, one that she is passionate about.

When asked about her process Shodeinde called it “more fluid than fixed”, adding, “The way my mind works, I have endless inspirations. I guess you could call these micro influences, I seem to remember certain trips, certain scenes, certain soundtracks, that spark this small flame that turns into a larger fire. I have always been interested in art, music, architecture - I go to bed and wake up thinking about design, it's just a part of who I am.” A range of interests and curiosities informs her work from her Nigerian heritage to music to even historical figures. Naming a few of her “muses” (part of an endless list), she cites iconic practitioners such as Oscar Niemeyer, Lina Bo Bardi, Vincenzo De Cotiis, Mies van der Rohe, Carlo Scarpa, Isamu Noguchi, Barbara Hepworth, Piero Portaluppi, all particularly known for their ability to extract emotion through form, materiality and craftsmanship.

Part of Shodeinde’s inspiration stems from her own femininity. She recounts, “I love the female body and its fluidity of form, and I find myself drawn toward curves and anything that flows organically. I think there’s something innately sinuous and graceful about the female body and that definitely consciously and subconsciously influences the sculptural form of my designs too.” Apart from her sculpted pieces of furniture, the studio has worked on several interior design projects, where a pared-down, sleek aesthetic with a minimal palette creates a calm, relaxed atmosphere. Through the layering of light, texture and furniture, Shodeinde’s aim is to create timeless spaces that combine functionality with comfort. The contemporary designer finds particular joy in layering different elements and creating material palettes that exude depth and personality.

Shodeinde has been passionate about design from a very young age, and her portfolio showcases the care and expert artisan attitude she possesses. She believes that since everything we use, touch and interact with, starts with design, it must be at the forefront of sustainability as it informs our daily lives. Currently, the design practice is working on a capsule furniture collection inspired by a residential project in Kuwait, the renovation of a boutique 5-star hotel in Antigua, and their own studio space, Casa Miminat.

One of the most individual and thoughtful designers working today, Shodeinde’s body of work subverts the expectations of what functional design is: at once feminine and brutalist, relaxed and elegant.