Based in London, Antoinette Yetunde Oni is an artist, architectural designer, and researcher whose speculative work addresses resource degradation, migration, and climate injustice in the Global South. Inspired by her British-Nigerian identity, Oni’s multidisciplinary practise is built on a decolonial design manifesto aimed at challenging hierarchies, opposing subjugation, and repairing and reinstating indigenous lands.

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Oni earned a BA in Architecture from the University of Manchester and an MA in Architecture from Central St. Martins. Recent honors include the E.ON Foundation Visit Residency, The LVMH Maison/O Green Trail Award for Regenerative Luxury, and the RIBA Norman Foster Travel Scholarship. Most recently she completed the Art for Environment Residency at the Yinka Shonibare Foundation in Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria.

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“The most significant lesson I learned during my time at the dieDAS fellowship is that designers have the ability to conceive, develop and disseminate ideologies within and outside of the creative sector. Through 'Monumental Affairs', the relationship between design education, architectural aesthetics, material extraction and the social engineering of communities are all interlinked and shaped by the ideologies of those in power. Learning from the past, specifically from the work of Paul Schultze-Naumburg and his influence within the nationalist-socialist regime, I feel a greater sense of responsibility to counter his approach and to instead continue to use design, architectural practice and writing to uplift historically marginalized communities and to amplify voices that have been silenced for so long.” —Antoinette Yetunde Oni

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AmongOni’s ongoing research projects is TheGossiping Plant, which investigates new materials derived from invasive water hyacinth fibres and their applications for economic and cultural empowerment. Locally known as gbeborun, or the gossiping plant, water hyacinths choke waterways throughout the tropics, depleting biodiversity and fish counts while contributing to fatal flooding. Through documentary film, material experimentation, and collaborative workshops with local communities, her project pushes back on this environmental havoc while developing new energy sources and supporting regional artisanal production.

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