In his latest furniture collection, ‘Oríkì (Act III): Whispers of a Trail,’ Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello wrestles with the contradictions of resource extraction in his home country. The collection, currently on display at Los Angeles gallery Marta, is the third and final chapter in his Oríkì series, which has previously explored bronze and aluminum. Now, Marcus-Bello turns to copper—a material mined in Nigeria but rarely made available for local use—to tell a story of scarcity, perseverance, and craftsmanship.
The Unseen Challenges of Copper Sourcing
Copper, an essential industrial material, is commonly extracted in Nigeria but is typically shipped abroad for refinement. This global supply chain bypasses local manufacturers, leaving designers like Marcus-Bello with few options. The designer’s search for raw copper took him deep into Lagos’ scrap economy, where he encountered a convoluted network of traders, sorters, and middlemen.
“Growing up in Nigeria, you constantly hear about oil being extracted but refined elsewhere. The same thing happens with other resources, like cocoa and cobalt,” Marcus-Bello explains. “Copper follows that pattern, and I wanted to understand how this affects those of us trying to create with it.”
Lacking access to virgin copper, Marcus-Bello turned to scrap metal yards, engaging directly with waste collectors who pull copper from discarded electronics. Yet, even at this level, the supply chain was opaque. “I must have spoken to twelve different people before I could even find someone willing to sell to me,” he recalls. This arduous process became embedded in the design concept, as each piece in ‘Whispers of a Trail’ reflects the journey of securing the material itself.
A Tribute to Nomadic and Rural Traditions
The collection consists of four sculptural pieces: a daybed, a lamp, a side table, and a headrest, all made from sand-cast copper. The forms are inspired by traditional furniture used by African farmers and nomadic communities. The daybed, for instance, reimagines a simple structure made from sticks and leather, while the headrest recalls multifunctional objects used for both sitting and sleeping.
These references extend beyond aesthetics. “The reason I chose these forms is because I felt like I was tracking copper in the same way these communities track resources in their environment,” Marcus-Bello explains. The inclusion of a candlestick in the daybed design is a nod to copper’s use in electrical wiring, subtly tying the material’s industrial function back to its origins.
Overcoming Technical Barriers
Once Marcus-Bello secured his copper, he faced another challenge: working with it. Copper’s scarcity in Nigeria means there is little local expertise in casting and welding it. The first piece in the collection, a side table, became a testing ground. When welding proved impossible even with master craftspeople, Marcus-Bello had to rethink his approach.
In an unexpected twist, he ended up selling part of the copper he had procured and reinvesting the funds into bronze, creating a copper alloy that allowed for easier fabrication. This pragmatic compromise underscores the collection’s themes of adaptability and resourcefulness.
A Call for Dialogue
Through ‘Whispers of a Trail,’ Marcus-Bello challenges the prevailing economic systems that deprive local artisans of raw materials. The collection is more than a design statement—it is a commentary on Nigeria’s role in the global economy and an invitation to rethink how resources are distributed and valued.
This latest chapter builds upon the themes of the previous Oríkì series. The first installment explored bronze, paying homage to the historic Benin Bronze Casters, while the second focused on aluminum, inspired by Lagos’ informal foundries that repurpose car parts.
With this final act, Marcus-Bello brings the series full circle, using copper to illuminate an urgent and persistent issue. ‘Oríkì (Act III): Whispers of a Trail’ is on view at Marta gallery in Los Angeles until April 5, 2025. More than just a showcase of collectible furniture, the exhibition is a quiet but powerful protest against the systems that separate people from the materials beneath their feet.
