For eight years London-based and international influencers, design lovers, and celebrities alike have flocked to Sketch for high tea in the infamous gallery restaurant. With its millennial pink colour palette and plush seating, Sketch has become an icon in the London dining scene. Designed by Iranian-French architect India Mahdavi, the pink interiors were only intended to stay for two years. However, they were so well received that the pastel pink interiors quadrupled their stay.
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Now, Sketch has decided to take off its rose-coloured glasses and stare directly into the sun, with a redesign by Mahdavi, featuring artwork by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE. in addition to the previous Sketch interiors, Mahdavi’s work includes the Ladurée interiors in Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Geneva; retail spaces for Tod’s and RedValentino; her own furniture line; and several collaborations with fashion and lifestyle brands including Louis Vuitton and Nespresso.
The redesign sees Sketch take on an optimistic tone. Copper-toned walls and yellow mouldings work to bathe the dining room in a golden glow, while mustard yellow seating and timber detailing contribute to the overall warmth of the space. Warm metallics are employed to striking effect, with copper lamps on each table and a bronze bar adding further brightness by subtly reflecting light.
Complementing the sunshine tones is artwork by Shonibare, with 13 new site-specific works designed in the artist’s signature aesthetic. Titled Modern Magic, the collection explores the influence of European traditions on African culture, with each piece working cohesively with the new yellow interiors.
“After Matisse showed Picasso African art for the first time, it changed the history of modern art,” Shonibare said. “Picasso was interested in appropriating from another culture, and I also appropriate from European ethnic art. Cultural appropriation can be a two-way street.”
Throughout the Gallery, collaborations with other African artists can be seen. Handmade wall lights from Inès Bressand, a Marseille-based craftsperson who works closely with Ghanian weavers, as well as Senegalese fabrics sourced from Dakar-based Aissa Dione are on display.
The newly redesigned Sketch London is now open.
Words by Theo Rosen
