In a VISI exclusive, we give Tribe, OKHA’s new outdoor/indoor furniture range, its first public showing – and speak to the brand’s creative director Adam Court about the creation of this African heritage-meets-punk collection.
WORDS Steve Smith PHOTOS Supplied
When it comes to high-end contemporary furniture that borders on the sculptural, OKHA sets a path locally. With creative director Adam Court at the helm, its design language is bold, exploring the potential of natural materials like metal, stone, marble and wood – and not afraid of forms that are organic and curved as well as linear.
Tribe is the name of OKHA’s first-ever outdoor range, though these furniture pieces have the kind of substance that makes for a statement indoors as well. We sat down with Adam to find out more about Tribe’s genesis.
Where did the inspiration for the range come from?
“I visited the London Design Biennale at Somerset House in 2023, an exhibition of design-led innovation from across the globe that featured works from more than 40 countries. Among the pieces on show was a traditional wooden loom from Saudi Arabia. I was struck by its simple beauty, its perfect logic; it was profoundly pure – a wonderfully honest exercise in materiality, form and function. It was made up of the simplest wooden elements that stacked and connected with one another in the humblest harmony, yet it was powerful. It felt almost biblical.
“I stored that image in my mind because I knew I wanted to do something with it. It lived there, germinating, until something triggered it mid-2024. Perhaps a space opened up in my mind that allowed it to resurface, or perhaps it was just ‘ready’. Once that image and concept resurfaced, I did some additional design work on its scale and proportion, and the idea of a surface relief motif. I took the basic, quite rudimentary physical construction of the original loom as inspiration, and worked it into the foundational structure of each piece of the Tribe collection.”
What specific cultural elements have you incorporated into Tribe’s designs, and how do they complement one another?
“The Clash table is still, and probably always will be, alive and kicking in me. It’s a limited-edition bronze coffee table we created in 2023, and it has an attitude and ideology that relates directly to punk fashion and African culture. It was an intuitive, unquestionable decision to apply the studded relief motif from Clash to Tribe; it just made sense.
“The pyramidal stud motif was originally drawn from two seemingly contrasting cultures – punk and African tribal culture. It’s an element that’s common in punk fashion, and it forms an integral part of African culture in carvings as well as body scarification. Two cultures that are worlds apart both use the motif as a sign of identity, of proud kinship and community, of belonging to a particular tribe… Effectively, they share a voice and sing the same song.”
The punk movement is oft en associated with rebellion and non-conformity, while traditional African aesthetics are deeply rooted in heritage. How do these opposing ideas coexist in your designs?
“Valid point. To be frank, my angle on punk and African culture focused on kinship, bond, community and identity. True, punk was the voice of discontent, rage and rebellion – a sub-culture wanting and actually bringing about change to the deadlocked, blind and blinkered status quo that existed in the UK at the time – and it tore down emblems of UK heritage in many ways. Heritage can hold up valuable principles and learnings, but it can also constrict, limit and fester when misused. Is heritage a static thing? Or a constantly moving and evolving thing? In fact, hasn’t punk become part of the UK’s heritage? Isn’t that ironic…”
What types of wood and materials have you chosen for this range? How do they reflect the concept?
“Although the designs and forms are simple, I wanted them to look and feel finely made. I wanted the wood to be lovingly and adoringly crafted by hand. I think the designs express that – certainly when you touch the works. The wood surface is silken, the raised studded relief feels wonderful to the touch… It leaves an impression both physically and emotionally.
“There is one machined detail: the studded relief. I originally intended for these to be hand-carved using traditional methods, but the reality of larger production, assured quality, timelines and cost quickly made me realise this wasn’t realistic, and that they needed the accuracy and perfection of CNC.
“I believe that all objects that are crafted from natural materials and worked by hand carry, and are embedded with, an emotional resonance. This translates into the works having a gravitas, a presence. I hope that through its form, proportion, method, materials and feel, Tribe communicates a soulfulness, the presence of work of the human hand – the human spirit.
“Ash and French oak were chosen for the indoor versions of the pieces. Ash stains beautifully and has a long, sinewy grain, which comes even more alive when the stain is dark. French oak is a beautiful wood – you can work the surface finely until it’s glassy and smooth to the touch, and its colour is so delicate and nuanced. It’s also a timber associated with ‘fine’ classical furniture, and I liked the idea of stark, almost brutal designs to be worked in a classical timber and so finely finished. I enjoy playing with and mixing opposites. The design style and visual language of Tribe is in wonderful contrast to the more common associations of French oak.
“Iroko or African teak was the ideal choice for the outdoor versions – it’s rich in colour when oiled, and it feels ‘African’.”
Give us insight into some of the technical aspects of the range … the joinery etc… what were the technical challenges and how do you solve them?
“Wood expands and contracts, it absorbs moisture and expands, it dries out and contracts; this movement is normal and natural but can cause problems. To limit this movement we laminated the heavy set bases and the large cylindrical sections, but you have to laminate the right way to minimise movement. Water drainage on the outdoor versions was also a factor to resolve, we’ve used very subtly inclined surfaces in the relief sections so water falls to drainage channels. The quality of timber you are working with is also critical. We used the best we can source in SA which is imported directly by our factory.”
How do you ensure the designs are functional and durable for outdoor use while staying true to the artistic vision?
“Tribe is fully functional, its design principles are based the simplest of geometrical forms that engage and relate to one another in a logical manner. The bases are strong, they stack form on form that supports a horizontal plane, they couldn’t be simpler. Brutal simplicity, brutal poetry. Re Outdoors, research and selecting the most appropriate timber is critical.”
Who do you envision as the ideal audience for this collection, and how do you think they will respond to its bold aesthetic?
“Tribe are both functional and practical designs and bold, expressive works. I can see Tribe in residential interiors, in luxury resorts, wellness and spa environments. The collection has an acutely defined aesthetic but simultaneously manages to express, myriad references and cultures (as you commented, it has a Japanese minimalist tonality) as well as feeling both heritage and rebellious. It speaks a genuine and also universal language that I hope all types will respond and connect with.”
Do you see this range as a standalone artistic statement, or is it part of a broader narrative for OKHA’s future designs?
“I think the narrative has more room to grow – certainly the brutal, sculptural aesthetic is one that I intend to explore and work with further. I love its elegant primitivism; it expresses so much with so little, and it’s honest, real and raw. This is why I believe Tribe is connecting with audiences the way it is. It’s not bullshit – it’s got an authentic narrative, humility and presence. What a wonderful combination!” | okha.com
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