The Gallery at Sketch 2022 by India Mahdavi: Yellow, African Craft and a New Conversation with Art
In 2022, India Mahdavi reimagined The Gallery at Sketch in London, replacing the room’s celebrated pink identity with a luminous world of yellow, warmth and texture. The redesign was conceived to respond to artworks by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare, which occupied the walls. Rather than treating art as decoration added after the room was complete, the designer made it the starting point of the spatial concept.
Mahdavi worked with makers across Africa to establish a language of materials and patterns. Senegalese textile designer Aissa Dione contributed handwoven fabrics in radiant yellow, bringing a distinctive rhythm to furniture and textiles. The collaboration also highlighted ongoing craft traditions and the people who sustain them.
Pierre Frey and Rubelli collaborated on additional fabrics, while Inès Bressand developed exclusive woven wall lights with craftspeople in Ghana. A shimmering wallcovering created with de Gournay added depth and brightened the interior, allowing the new colours to converse with the artworks displayed throughout the restaurant.
The studio’s Charlotte armchair returned in a simplified form designed to support the new textiles. The composition combines collectible furniture, tactile surfaces and carefully controlled colour into a cohesive hospitality environment. Mahdavi’s description of the design places warmth, rather than any single shade, at the heart of the transformation.
This is a record of the specific 2022 version of The Gallery, not a claim about subsequent changes to the restaurant. The seven photographs are from India Mahdavi’s official project gallery and are credited there to Dave Benett. The project’s studio record names Sinead Mallozzi as the client.
The Gallery at Sketch / 2022 — project and photography credits
Project: The Gallery at Sketch, London, 2022. Interior design: India Mahdavi. Artist: Yinka Shonibare. Textile collaborations: Aissa Dione, Pierre Frey, Rubelli. Woven wall lights: Inès Bressand and artisans in Ghana. Wallpaper: de Gournay. Client identified by the studio: Sinead Mallozzi. All seven project photographs: Dave Benett. Official source: https://india-mahdavi.com/en/projects/interiors/21-the-gallery-at-sketch-2022
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