The Design Museum to open major exhibition of contemporary Black design this autumn

The Design Museum in London is set to open The Nue Black Aesthetic this autumn, a major exhibition exploring the work of some of the most innovative contemporary Black designers working today. Guest curated by author and journalist Charlene Prempeh, the exhibition will feature 16 designers who are reshaping the design industry and will be one of the most extensive exhibitions on contemporary Black design ever held in the UK. More than 100 objects will be on display across fashion, furniture, architecture, product design and sculpture.

‘Strange Notes' 2025 by Giles Tettey Nartey. Courtesy of Giles Tettey Nartey.

The exhibition will explore a central question: “What does it mean to be a Black designer working today?” Across six sections, it will examine the ways identity, heritage, community and culture shape contemporary design, while challenging the idea that Black design can be reduced to a single aesthetic. The designers featured include Tejumola Adenuga, Taiba Akhuetie, Ini Archibong, Simone Brewster, Mac Collins, Phoebe Collings-James, Foday Dumbuya, Feben, Nifemi Marcus-Bello, Andu Masebo, Saul Nash, Tosin Oshinowo, Bianca Saunders, Rachel Scott, Samuel Ross and Giles Tettey Nartey.

‘Braided rocking chair' 2025 by Taiba Akhuetie. Courtesy Taiba Akhuetie.

Among the works on display will be a Bianca Saunders suit worn by Usher at the 2023 Met Gala, furniture made from synthetic hair by Taiba Akhuetie and LABRUM’s reimagining of Arsenal’s 2024/25 away kit, created in collaboration with adidas. Architect Giles Tettey Nartey will present a contemporary interpretation of the West African balafon, while a new film by Samona Olanipekun will explore the personal journeys and motivations of the designers through interviews, studio visits and candid reflections. The exhibition will conclude with Mfon, a site-specific commission by Nigerian-American designer Ini Archibong, comprising a large hand-blown Murano glass chandelier accompanied by an ambient soundtrack.

‘Lantern House’ 2022, lead architect Tosin Oshinowo. Photo credit Tolu Sanusi.

The exhibition’s title references the Black Aesthetic movement of the 1960s and the New Black Aesthetic of the 1980s, while proposing a new “Nue” era defined by nuance and plurality. Prempeh, founder of A Vibe Called Tech and author of Now You See Me: An Introduction to 100 Years of Black Design, said the exhibition aims to examine the complexities and influences shaping contemporary Black designers and provoke a reassessment of what Black design means today.

LOOK 23, LABRUM, SS25 Designed by an Immigrant: Journey of Triumphs, 2024 by Foday Dumbuya. Courtesy of LABRUM.

The Nue Black Aesthetic will open at the Design Museum from 6 November 2026 and run until 8 August 2027. Tickets are on sale now from £19, with concessions available. Book now.