Canadian-born designer Evan Jerry wants Black art accessible to as many people as possible.
The Studio Anansi founder is bringing together the voices and stories of Black designers through the Black in Design Collective, a new CB2 assortment featuring a global home decor collection from 11 Black artists and designers.
According to Elle Decor, Jerry’s partnership with CB2 aims to highlight the stories of underrepresented groups to change the industry’s lack of diversity. The Black in Design Collective gives Black artists a platform to reach a broader audience.
The assortments feature designs that speak to a range of cultures and backgrounds. “The brief was to express how you see Black futures in design,” Jerry said. “How designers perceived that was completely up to them—I was very mindful not to interfere with how they wanted to express that.”
Kenyan multidisciplinary designer Sandra Githinji brings an international perspective to the collection with her Dome coffee table, constructed from traditional Kikuyu stool silhouettes.
“I didn’t just want to focus on the Western gaze and what’s happening in North America,” Jerry said. “I wanted to have a very international approach to this so we can see how Black narratives connect from a global perspective—and how they differ.”
Dimitri Zephir’s Guadeloupe-inspired light fixtures are also presented as part of the collection, along with architect and furniture designer Jerome Byron’s side table and console that balance positive and negative space. Jerry also has some featured pieces in the collection, including his Arc bronze velvet bench, which conveys a message of unity and coming together.
“I wanted something as important as this to be as accessible as possible to the most people,” Jerry said.
Other designers featured in the Black in Design Collective include Nigerian and New York designer Lani Adeoye Lagos; Florida fiber artist and textile designer Élan Byrd; Garth Roberts of Garth in Germany; Forbes Masters founders Tavia Forbes and Monet Masters of Atlanta; French furniture
designer Axel Mert; New York multidisciplinary designer Luam Melake; and Jean-Marc Bullet, founder of Atelier Bullet in Martinique.