Yinka Ilori Returns to Islington with 'Chairman' at Walter Sickert Community Centre During Frieze London
From October 14th to 16th, 2026, the Walter Sickert Community Centre in Islington, North London, will host "Chairman," an exhibition by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori. This showcase, coinciding with Frieze London and UK Black History Month, celebrates a decade of Ilori's chair-centric creations that reflect his childhood community, highlighting chairs that represent memory and identity. Additionally, Ilori's debut book, also named "Chairman," will be released by ORO Editions in fall 2026, documenting his artistic journey across various mediums. The exhibition features vibrantly designed reclaimed chairs, captured through the lens of photographer Andy Stagg, as Ilori seeks to make art more accessible to the community.
Key facts
- Yinka Ilori's exhibition Chairman runs October 14th–16th, 2026, at the Walter Sickert Community Centre in Islington, North London.
- The show coincides with Frieze London and UK Black History Month.
- Chairman presents ten years of Ilori's chair-based work, returning it to the neighborhood where he grew up.
- Ilori's first book, also titled Chairman, is published by ORO Editions in fall 2026.
- The book includes photography, archival material, studio documentation, essays, and interviews.
- Ilori's practice involves collecting and transforming discarded chairs through color and pattern.
- His interest in chairs began with a discarded chair spotted from a London bus.
- Ilori describes the community center as 'bigger than any traditional institution' and residents as 'walking artifacts.'
Entities
Artists
- Yinka Ilori
- Walter Sickert
- Andy Stagg
Institutions
- Walter Sickert Community Centre
- Frieze London
- ORO Editions
- designboom
Locations
- Islington
- London
- United Kingdom
- North London
- Nigeria