Celebrated Nigerian architect, designer, and urbanist Tosin Oshinowo has been announced as a jury member for the 2025 edition of the London Design Biennale, marking yet another milestone in her distinguished global career. Known for her forward-thinking approach to design and her commitment to social impact, Oshinowo joins a panel of eminent figures from the global design community to evaluate and celebrate innovative ideas shaping the future of design.
Oshinowo, who is the founder and principal of Oshinowo Studio, is lauded for her distinctive architectural voice, which seamlessly fuses contemporary aesthetics with a deep sensitivity to culture, history, and local context. Her work includes a landmark UN-backed resettlement village in northern Nigeria, built for a community displaced by conflict, which exemplifies her commitment to using design as a tool for rebuilding lives and fostering dignity.
Her contributions to the field extend beyond architecture. As an active curator and thought leader, Oshinowo has played a key role in framing design discourse in the Global South. She curated the 4th Lagos Biennial in 2024, titled Refuge, and was co-curator of the 2023 Sharjah Architecture Triennial, where she explored the challenges and ingenuity of urbanism in the Majority World.
With a career spanning decades, Oshinowo holds degrees from Kingston University, University College London (UCL), the Architectural Association (AA), and IE University Madrid. Her academic pursuits have earned her a place as a 2025 Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, an appointment that reaffirms her position as a global leader in architecture and urban strategy.
A registered architect with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), she has also worked with prestigious global practices including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture). Her professional pedigree and deep-rooted understanding of both Western and African design contexts make her an invaluable addition to the Biennale’s jury.
The London Design Biennale 2025 will bring together world-leading design minds, countries, and institutions to present solutions and provocations that address some of the most urgent challenges of our time. As a jury member, Oshinowo is expected to bring her unique lens—shaped by her architectural practice, curatorial leadership, and grassroots social interventions—to the evaluation of pavilions, installations, and conceptual projects from around the globe.
Her selection as a jury member not only honors her individual achievements but also shines a spotlight on the dynamic and increasingly influential role African creatives are playing on the global design stage
