Text & Interview Dzenana MUJADZIC
Good design is known to be defined by more than just purely aesthetic aspects; it is a purposefully created experience that connects products or spaces and emotions. British designer Miminat Shodeinde, who founded her London-based studio Miminat Designs back in 2014 when she was still a student, conceives flowing spatial structures that create emotional experiences and explore themes such as gravity and water, as well as influences from her Nigerian roots. With her furniture, which can also be found in museum collections around the world, Miminat Shodeinde aims to create spaces that meet the supposedly banal need of her international clients for beauty and relaxation through interior design.
Chapter You have worked on projects around the globe, from Ghana, Nigeria, Portugal, and the UK. With regard to this internationality, what do you think is the underlying need and shared vision, your clients have in common? And if so, how do you approach this as a designer?
Miminat Shodeinde My work is about the way we experience space and about beauty. Wherever I am designing, I want to create spaces that people instantly relax in, and I think that’s a shared vision I have with my clients. Our process is very fluid, but there are common thematics — I like to play with notions like gravity, aeronautics, water, and more, as well as explore my African heritage and the power of the female body.
Private housing project, Cape Coast, Ghana, 2020
Sculpture, privately owned
Chapter As a creative, you are arguably absorbing inspiration from many sources, but do you remember the first artist or artwork that left an impression on you?
Miminat Shodeinde I love Käthe Kollwitz. Her work is so deeply expressive and evocative, it really speaks to the soul. On the design side, the work of modernist architects like Oscar Niemeyer and Lina Bo Bardi. Their work and ideas. The poetry of their creations.
Private residential project, Gloucestershire, England, 2022
Sculpture, Alberto Giacometti, from private collection
Armchair, »S33 Chair«, Marcel Breuer
Chapter How much importance do you attach to the emotional component of design?
Miminat Shodeinde I think I am a naturally empathetic person. I think that design can have the power to move you and to provoke emotions, both positive and negative. I recently designed a collection of vessels inspired by the strength of my mother; it was a cathartic process for me.
Private residential project, Simons Town, near Cape Town, South Africa, 2022
Chapter Recently, you have also released your debut superyacht concept named M/Y K. Can you tell us a little bit more about what considerations went into the design?
Miminat Shodeinde I was very much inspired by Japanese design principles when designing the M/Y K yacht, which felt like a natural reference point as I wanted to create a »floating sanctuary« characterized by clean lines, thoughtful wabi-sabi-inspired materials, and a serene color palette which evokes a feeling of quiet sophistication. It was intended as not only a vessel for art but a masterpiece in and of itself. The design had to accommodate five separate rooms: the owner’s suite, VIP cabin, three guest cabins to serve as crew quarters. Standout features we chose to incorporate include the glass-covered atrium to the front of the saloon and the extended beach club with swimming pool to the stern.
M—Y—K Yacht (Yacht design concept), 2024
Concave mirror in red, custom-made for M—Y—K yacht, David Adamo
