Larry Tchogninou: Designer breaking conventions with Ruptur Vision studio

Chicago-based designer Larry Tchogninou, born in 1999 in Cotonou, Benin, founded his own studio Ruptur Vision to break away from the mindset that everything in design has been done. His 'Knuckle Shelf', inspired by the impact of books and shaped like a knuckle duster, is on display at Theaster Gates's Stony Island Arts Bank. Made from Baltic birch plywood and aluminum with friction-fit engineering, it reflects his unconventional approach. Tchogninou studied architecture at L'Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture Paris-Val-de-Seine and Illinois Institute of Technology. In 2019, he participated in NikeLab Chicago Recreation Lab mentored by Virgil Abloh, where he met James Langford, co-founder of Points of Sail, designing retail stores in Chicago and Benin. Their pop-up store Tibi in Cotonou features furniture made locally, including aluminum stools cast by the same artisan who made his 'Beak' citrus squeezer, inspired by Philippe Starck's 'Juicy Salif'. In 2021, he created the 'SWDC' duffel bag for Serena Williams Design Crew, launched in 2023. In 2025, he exhibited at the Benin Pavilion at World Expo in Japan, including an aluminum dish set with chef Philippe Sonou used in Masterchef UK finals. His 'Gbêhanzin' egg holder is made in the US with Chicago-based Sand Cut Sands. Tchogninou believes design should be both disturbing and comforting.