Tosin Oshinowo
{{Short description|Nigerian architect, designer, and author}}
{{Infobox artist
| birth_date =
| nationality = Nigerian
| known_for = Architecture of Maryland Mall
| notable_works = CmDesign Atelier, Ile-ila: House of Lines
| image =
| caption = Picture of Tosin Oshinowo delivering keynote address at a YMCA of Lagos Event
}}
Tosin Oshinowo is a Lagos-based Nigerian architect and designer, creative entrepreneur, public speaker and author.{{cite news|url=https://guardian.ng/life/tosin-oshinowo-a-damsel-in-mens-structural-world/|title=Tosin Oshinowo: A Damsel In Men’s Structural World|author=Daniel Azania|publisher=The Guardian|date=September 23, 2018|accessdate=October 27, 2018}}{{cite news|URL=https://guardian.ng/guardian-woman/tosin-oshinowo/|title=Tosin Oshinowo: Inspired to break the glass ceiling|date=June 4, 2016|publisher=The Guardian|work=Guardian Woman|accessdate=October 27, 2018}}
Career
Tosin's choice of career as an architect was primarily informed by tendencies indicated at an early stage of life. In an interview with Omenkaonline.com, Tosin attributes her choice to self-discovery of her creativity, her success in Technical Drawing while in high school, and her innate ability to understand drawings at her tender age of twelve, as well as her exposure to site works accompanying her father to site when his retirement home was being built.{{Cite web|url=http://www.omenkaonline.com/breaking-the-mould-with-tosin-oshinowo/|title=Breaking the Mould with Tosin Oshinowo-Omenka Online|last=Enwonwu|first=Oliver|website=www.omenkaonline.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-05-03|date=December 2016}} In 2019 she was featured in the Visual Collaborative electronic catalog, under the Polaris series.{{cite news |last1=Agbana |first1=Rotimi |title=Shehab, Bobby, Tosin Oshinowo, others featured on Visual Collaborative |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/04/shehab-bobby-tosin-oshinowo-others-featured-on-visual-collaborative/ |access-date=2 May 2019 |publisher=Vanguard (Nigeria) |date=2 April 2019 |ref=Vanguard}}{{cite web |title=Tosin Oshinowo Electronic Catalog Interview |url=https://www.visualcollaborative.com/tosin_oshinowo/ |publisher=Visual Collaborative |access-date=14 February 2024}}
=Early Practice: London to Rotterdam (2007–2009)=
Shortly after her education, before leaving London, Tosin worked with Skidmore Owning and Merril's LLP London between June and October 2007 after which she moved to Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam from January 2008 to January 2009, where she was part of a team of six that designed the proposed double-decker Forth Mainland Bridge meant to link Ajah and Ikorodu, in Lagos State.{{Cite web|url=http://futurecapetown.com/2015/07/future-lagos-interview-with-young-architect-tosin-oshinowo/#.WvyUzaQvy00|title=FUTURE LAGOS {{!}} Interview with young architect Tosin Oshinowo {{!}} Future Cape Town|website=futurecapetown.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-05-16}}{{Cite news|url=https://thenerveafrica.com/12289/tosin-oshinowo-the-architect-through-whose-eyes-lagos-is-reinventing-itself/|title=Tosin Oshinowo: The architect through whose eyes Lagos is reinventing itself|date=2017-08-13|work=The Nerve Africa|access-date=2018-05-28|language=en-US}}
=James Cubitt Architects Nigeria=
In January, 2009, after training in Europe and few years of practice, Tosin returned to Nigeria and joined James Cubitt Architects where she worked on the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) projects as lead architect, a project which Tosin, in an interview granted Future Lagos' Ayo Denton, said taught her involvement of stakeholders during design process. Tosin worked with James Cubitt for four years. On leaving James Cubitt Architects, Tosin floated her own Architecture firm, CmDesign Atelier (cmD+A) in 2012, it is with this imprint that Tosin, as Team Lead designed Maryland Mall, Lagos (referred to as the Big Black Box by livingspace.net ){{Cite news|url=https://www.livinspaces.net/projects/architecture/built-the-maryland-shopping-mall-in-ikeja-by-cmda/|title=BUILT: THE MARYLAND MALL (A.K.A. THE BIG BLACK BOX) IN LAGOS BY CMD+A {{!}} livin spaces|date=2016-07-01|work=livin spaces|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en-US}} among other projects the firm has worked on.
=SHO-N-TELL=
Tosin Oshinowo is the convener of Sho-n-Tell, an annual event series that creates a platform for undergraduate and postgraduate students of the University of Lagos to share the same studio with practicing professionals in order to enhance their learning through exposure to the professionals' wealth of experience. The event series held from 2009 to 2014.{{Cite news|url=http://twmagazine.net/tw-exclusive-interviews/women-we-love-wednesdays-tosin-oshinowo/|title=WOMEN WE LOVE WEDNESDAYS: TOSIN OSHINOWO – TW Magazine Website|date=2016-10-05|work=TW Magazine Website|access-date=2018-05-28|language=en-US}}
=Ile Ila=
Ile Ila (House of Lines), a contemporary Nigerian lifestyle furniture line, was founded by Tosin Oshinowo in 2017. The brand has had prominent Nigerian Entertainment acts including Adekunle Gold and Chidinma feature in different campaigns as muse.{{Cite news|url=https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/04/21/adekunle-gold-afrocentric-ile-ila-campaign/|title=Adekunle Gold afrocentric for ilé Ilà Campaign – PM NEWS Nigeria|date=2017-04-21|work=PM NEWS Nigeria|access-date=2018-05-28|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.glamafrica.com/2018/03/30/here-are-the-colorful-adunni-chair-collection-by-nigerian-furniture-designer-ile-ila-with-chidinma-ekile/|title=Here Are The Colorful Designs From 'Àdùnní Chair' Collection By Nigerian Furniture Brand, Ilé-Ilà With Chidinma Ekile – Glam Africa|website=www.glamafrica.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-05-28|date=2018-03-30}}
While her architectural aesthetic utilizes a minimalistic approach, the furniture designs of Ile Ila draw on the opposite end of the vibrancy spectrum and are known for its bold, colorful expressions. Tosin's collections are handmade in Lagos incorporating iconic traditional West African fabrics and Nigerian teak wood.{{cite web |title=From Architecture to Art: Tosin Oshinowo |url=https://54kibo.com/blogs/the-summit/meet-the-designer-ile-ila?_pos=2&_sid=a45ae3c15&_ss=r |website=www.54kibo.com |publisher=54kibo |accessdate=3 March 2020}}
References
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{{Visual Collaborative|state=open}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oshinowo, Tosin}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Nigerian women architects
Category:Architects from Lagos
Category:Queen's College, Lagos alumni
Category:Alumni of the Architectural Association School of Architecture
Category:21st-century Nigerian architects
Category:Alumni of Kingston University
Category:Alumni of the Bartlett
Category:Nigerian furniture designers