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Bolaji Teniola

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About
Furniture, Lighting + Obejcts
Projects
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Moved by intrigue and a fascination with materiality, Bolaji Teniola finds joy in allowing the process to unearth pragmatic solutions, blending knowledge gained within the disciplines of Furniture Design and Industrial Design to develop contemporary objects, lighting, furniture and sculptural forms which sit at the intersection of art, craft, and design, channelling these outcomes to exhibitions and commissions.

Nigerian-born and Australian-raised, Bolaji Teniola is a multi-award-winning interdisciplinary designer practising between Tarntanya (Adelaide) and Naarm (Melbourne), Australia. Holding a Bachelor of Industrial Design and an Associate Degree in Furniture Design from RMIT University, Teniola is also an alumnus of the JamFactory and has acquired key experience working for design studios locally and abroad.

Teniola's works have been published and exhibited nationally and internationally, are part of private collections, and have accumulated several awards over the years.

Awards

The Emerging Designer Awards - Artedomus & The Local Project

Year

2024 (Highly commended (product design category)

Domaine de Boisbuchet Scholarship - JamFactory

2023

Object, Furniture and Lighting (Rising) - IDEA Awards

2022 (Winner)

Australia’s Next Top Designer

2022 (Finalist)

Design Futures Award - Design Fringe Melbourne

2022 (Winner)

Best Experimental Design Award - Design Fringe Melbourne

2022 (Winner)

VIVID Emerging Designer Awards

2022 (Commendation)

SIT Furniture Design Awards

2021 (Honourable Mention)

VIVID Emerging Designer Awards

2021 (Finalist)

Best In Furniture - Design Fringe Melbourne

2021 (Commendation)

Chair Design Competition - MPavillion

2021 (Shortlisted)

Fresh! - Craft Victoria

2021 (Finalist)

Design Institute of Australia

2021 (Australian Graduate Of The Year)

Design Institute of Australia

2021 (Graduate Of The Year (VIC / TAS)

Design Institute of Australia

2021 (Furniture Graduate Of The Year (VIC / TAS)

Exhibitions

No Place Like...
presented by Household
April 04 - May 02 2025

Material & Culture
As part of Design Biennale Rotterdam
Curated by Bolaji Teniola
February 20 - March 02

Reflections Of Home
As part of Melbourne Design Week
Curated by Bolaji Teniola
May 29 - June 02 2024 @ Coco Flip

Touchwood: The Hands That Touch The Timber
As part of Melbourne Design Week
Presented by Elton Group, Tongue & Groove, and Green Magazine
May 23 - June 01 2024 @ Tongue & Groove

Transformative RepairLead by Guy Keulemans, Trent Jansen, UniSA,
UNSW, and JamFactory
April 05 - April 20 2024 @ JamFactory Collect Space

Everyone's Heard Of A Dragon
Curated by James Lemon and Bobby Corica
November 11 2023 - January 27 2024 @ Craft VIC

The Gentle Going HourAs part of Melbourne Design Week
May 26 - May 28 2023 @ The Collingwood House

The Silo Project
As part of Melbourne Design Week
May 18 - May 21 @ 45 Gibdon St, Burnley

ReformerApril 12 - May 13 2023 @ Craft VIC

Material MetamorphosisMarch 04 - May 08 2023 @ JamFactory Seppeltsfield

2023 Art On Parade
April 01 - April 30 2023 @ Africola Canteen
presented by The City of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters

2023 Daisy Chain
February 02 - March 18 2023 at Craft ACT

2022 'Availability'
presented by alt. Material

2022 Design The Future: Don't Waste Time
for Design Fringe at Linden New Art

Australia's Next Top Designer
October 2022
for Design Show Australia at ICC Sydney

2022 VIVID Emerging Designer Awards
for VIVID 2022 at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

2022 TRANSPARENT
for misc objet / Melbourne Design Week at Missing Persons Gallery

2021 VIVID Emerging Designer Awards
for VIVID 2021 at Showroom By Bowens

2021 Design Fringe
at Linden New Art

2021 Fesh!
at Craft Victoria

2020 New Assembly
for RMIT Furniture Design Graduate Show - virtual exhibition

2020 Fringe Furniture 34
for Melbourne Fringe Festival - virtual exhibition

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