We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jomo Tariku a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jomo, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
It comes from both my mother and father. My mom is a always looking at the brighter side of things that I attribute to her faith and my dad is a survivor who started his life journey as an orphan and refugee in a Kenyan camp for people escaping the invasion of Ethiopia by Mussolini’s army. He is one of the people that survived a long journey that started from the middle of Ethiopia all the way south mostly on foot. From that low in his life he became an officer in the Imperial army and a diplomat. He was well read, spoke 5 languages, was an eloquent speaker and writer and represented his country on the global stage. He set an example that in spite of insurmountable challenges one can still achieve something in one’s life if one is determined.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Even though I studied Industrial Design I mostly consider myself as a furniture designer and an artist. I run my own small studio Jomo Furniture right outside of Washington, DC in Springfield, VA. What makes my work standout is a unique African focused design language I started developing while I was still in college more than 30 years ago. This is an intellectual and artistic exercise that is still ongoing and I don’t personally have one set of style like you can attribute like a Mid Century Modern design. This unique approach and it’s results has contributed to major museums adding my work to their permanent collection – from the Met and just last month MoMA. I knew I was brining something new and unique to the market but not even in my wildest dream did I think major museums would be collecting my chair and stool designs.
I just completed my solo show at Wexler Gallery in Philadelphia where I introduced about 5 new prototypes and I will be launching my Jimma Chair and two Duka stools this year. The stools will be introduced during ICFF in NYC. The three legged Jimma Chair will be available exclusively at Wexler Gallery and the four legged version will be available at my site and other catalogues.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Even when I closed my first business Jomo Design back in 2008 and stepped away from fully pursuing my passion of furniture design I always kept abreast of the industry by reading, researching, attending exhibitions/shows and building my portfolio by mostly doing sketches and 3D models. The next important thing I did and am benefiting to up to this days was also finding out who the players are in the industry by building a database of individuals and companies. This will never be a completed project so I revisit it ever now and then to tweak it and see what new things I can gleam from it including doing research related to representation. And last it is not to be afraid to ask for help, ask for guidance, ask for mentorship, ask, ask but do it genuinely and give a good reason why. Obliviously you need to have a thick skin to handle the rejection but all you are looking for is one jewel in the rough.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I’m currently seeking catalogues and showrooms to collaborate with on my non-exclusive furniture designs, and I’m working on expanding my licensing portfolio beyond just furniture. Recently, I completed my first wallpaper design in collaboration with Wexler Gallery, and I also launched a t-shirt line inspired by the graphics from that wallpaper. I’m excited to continue expanding into new areas like this as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jomofurniture.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jomotariku/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jomotariku
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jomotariku852
- Soundcloud: jomo@jomotariku.com
- Other: https://www.jomotariku.com/
Image Credits
Courtesy of Wexler Gallery
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