Sharjah Architecture Triennial (SAT) announced the appointment of architect Tosin Oshinowo as the curator of its second edition, which will open in 2023. From its inaugural edition of 2018, the triennial established itself as an international platform highlighting the architecture of West and South Asia, as well as the African continent. Oshinowo’s appointment is prompted by the architect’s socially responsive approaches to architecture and her deep knowledge of the African architectural and urban context. Her work reflects SAT’S mission to pursue a multidisciplinary design approach “that fosters an understanding of the broader role of architecture, including its relation to social and environmental issues.”
“My approach is inspired by the history, traditions, and landscape of Sharjah and other cities across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, exploring architecture and design solutions that are built from conditions of scarcity,” says Tosin Oshinowo. The Lagos-based architect is the founder of cmDesign Atelier, whose body of work comprises civic, commercial, and residential projects thought Nigeria. One of Oshinowo’s key designs is a project created with the UN Development Programme to build an entirely new community in northern Nigeria for a village displaced by Boko Haram.
The theme of adaptability that is central to Oshinowo’s curatorial proposal builds on the Sharjah Architecture Triennial commitment to addressing the challenging conditions we face not only in the Global South but around the world. With a breadth of knowledge and experience from her work in an African context, Oshinowo brings to the second edition a decisive and much-needed focus on socially responsive approaches to architecture and urbanism. - Hoor Al Qasimi, Director of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial
Conscious of the societal and environmental impact of design, Oshinowo’s approach offers a more equitable vision for the future of the field. In doing so Oshinowo’s careful consideration of societal and environmental implications of design translates into a vision for the future of architecture centered on equity. In 2019, Oshinowo was a co-curator of the second Lagos Biennial. She has also written extensively on urbanism and afro modernism and identity.
