About

Furniture, architecture, and the memory of a shared table.

I'm a furniture designer, architectural designer, and researcher based in Lagos, Nigeria. My practice sits at the intersection of furniture design, architecture, African material culture, and immersive technology — using objects, furniture, and spatial experiences to preserve memory, embody cultural narrative, and foster communal connection.

I grew up for a time in Jos, Nigeria, where I saw firsthand how social division, tension, and instability can fracture everyday life and shared space. Those early memories became foundational to my design philosophy, and continue to shape projects built around togetherness, shared identity, and belonging — ideas I draw from personal memory and material culture across Africa, not any single tradition. Through this work, I treat design as a celebration of people, interconnectedness, and shared humanity.

I hold a Master's degree in Architecture from the University of Ilorin, graduating with distinction and the Best Design Project Award. Through my studio, Polar Bear Studios, I work with local artisans in Lagos to build furniture rooted in memory and material storytelling — alongside a team of XR specialists who help me prototype spatial concepts digitally before anything is physically produced.

Portrait of Athanasius Johnson
Recognition & path

A short timeline

2013 – 2017

B.Sc. Architecture, University of Ilorin

Thesis: Green Buildings: A Weapon to Combat Global Warming.

2018 – present

Founder & Creative Director, Polar Bear Studios

Formerly T.A.G. A multidisciplinary studio spanning furniture, immersive environments, architecture, interiors, and cultural storytelling.

2018 – 2021

M.Arch Architecture, University of Ilorin

Graduated with distinction; awarded Best Design Project for The Calabash. Thesis: Post-occupancy evaluation of fenestration in Jos museum.

2023

Published research

Virtual Reality as a Catalyst in Advancing Inclusive Design for Social and Cultural Sustainability in Architecture, International Journal of Architecture and Planning.

2025

Fak'ugesi Award & British Council recognition

For the Apo Chair — plus a growing run of exhibitions across Lagos.

2026

Milan, and two African International Design Awards

Exhibited at Salone del Mobile / Milan Design Week; won AIDA awards for the Apo Chair and Apo Lamp; named among the Top 20 Alumni by the University of Ilorin Department of Architecture. Paris Design Week follows later in the year.

Speaking

Conversations & panels

AFRICANXT Conference — Panelist, "XR for Africans by Africans"
2023
Design Week Lagos — "Design in the Metaverse" & "AI in Design"
2022 / 2023
Blueprint Conference — "Design Meets Tech: The Future of Interior Design"
2022
Design and Architecture Talk — "Restructuring a Visual Language: How Nigerian Designers Sculpt Identity Through Form"
2026
"Narrative Currency" — Intersecting Nigerian Design with Cultural Storytelling
2026