Athanasius Johnson, studio portraits
Apo Lamp and Apo Stool installed in a warm-lit gallery space
Speaking at the Blueprint Conference
Athanasius Johnson at a design exhibition
Demonstrating a VR headset on stage
Apo Stools on exhibition plinths
Speaking at the Blueprint Conference
Portrait and Apo Stool detail
Interior render of The Calabash museum, sculptural archer figure
Lagos, Nigeria — furniture & architectural design

Objects built from togetherness.

I design furniture, lighting, and spaces that carry ideas of community, memory, and material craft — prototyped in XR before a single piece is cut.

The practice

Design as a way of standing together.

Through Polar Bear Studios, I collaborate with local artisans in Lagos to create furniture rooted in symbolism and material storytelling — and with a team of XR specialists to prototype spatial concepts before physical production.

Selected work

Featured pieces

2× 2026African International Design Awards — Apo Chair & Apo Lamp
2025Fak'ugesi Award & British Council recognition
iDICEBase Grant Winner
Top 20Alumni, University of Ilorin Dept. of Architecture
Beyond furniture

Architecture & spatial design

From an award-winning museum concept to XR-prototyped interiors, the same principle carries through: design that holds people together.

Have a space, a brief, or an idea to explore together?

Get in touch