Lladró taps Láolú Senbanjo for Inaugural The Dreamer Collection
The New York Based Nigerian Artist expresses the spirituality of the Yoruba heritage in two limited edition pieces for the iconic Spanish porcelain brand
NYC – November 3, 2023 – Lladró presents its newest collection, The Dreamer by Láolú, which marks the brand’s first collaboration with an African artist, Láolú Senbanjo. The prominent New York-based Nigerian artist joins Lladró to express the spirituality of the Yoruba heritage through porcelain art. Two limited edition sculptures blend influences from Yoruba culture, known for its deep religious beliefs, and other Nigerian traditions, with a contemporary twist. The Lladró porcelain is treated as a blank canvas that brings to life Senbajo’s creative vision.
The Dreamer by Láolú: Culture, tradition, spirituality, Africa
Visual artist, musician, human rights lawyer, and activist, Láolú Senbanjo, also known as “Laolu NYC”, is the first artist invited to collaborate in The Dreamer collection. The Dreamer by Láolú plays with the artist’s signature geometric patterns in black and gold on white porcelain. The translation of Senbanjo’s drawing to porcelain is a testament to Lladro’s craftsmanship, with each stroke being hand engraved and hand-painted in black and gold luster.
Materialization of a Spiritual Connection with Art
Senbanjo’s creative process, which the artist calls “the Sacred Art of the Ori”, is a spiritually guided exercise that seeks to elevate consciousness as much as it seeks to create a work of art. The black color and various shapes create complex, story-driven designs that draw heavily on the author’s Yoruba roots.
Inspired by Yoruba body painting rituals, he applies traditional African patterns with charcoal, ink, and paint on everything from buildings and cars to paper, wood, and the skin of his models. And now, also on porcelain: “When I met Lladró, I was impressed by the different cultures I saw represented in their universe”, explains Láolú. “It’s the first time I’ve worked with porcelain. It has a shine and luster when exposed to light that doesn’t appear in any other type of ceramic, and it’s beautiful; something so striking and genuine. The elegance it gives off is something that cries out for art, for visions of different expressions.”
The Dreamer by Láolú highlights a dynamic partnership between Lladró and Láolú. It establishes a meeting point between cultures and a creative expression where there are no rules or limits. The collection is part of a larger mission to provide more visibility and awareness of culture and the arts. Láolú reinterprets ancestral techniques, exploring new creative paths to keep ancient traditions alive.
The Dreamer: a new creative Project where global artists give life to their imagination
Under the name The Dreamer, a new Lladró creative project is born, in which international artists like Láolú Senbanjo will express their imagination and their way of seeing and understanding the world in designs produced in limited series of between 300 and 1,500 units. A new space where two sculptures, a head and a bust, become a blank canvas for artists and a metaphor of the universe that lives in each of us. Evoking dreams, thoughts, aspirations, concerns… the universe of the artist expressed through artistic sculpture in porcelain.
The Dreamer by Láolú is available starting November 2, 2023, until supplies last. The collection will be available online at lladro.com and Lladró boutiques around the world.
About Láolú Senbanjo
Láolú Senbanjo otherwise known as “Laolu NYC,” is a Nigerian bred, Brooklyn based performance and visual artist, singer, songwriter, musician, human rights lawyer, and activist. Having started his career in law, Láolú has always sought out to help others reveal their truth. To do this, he navigates in the way that comes most natural to him: through never ending depths of his artwork. After practicing law for 3 years in Nigeria, he moved to New York City where he has devoted his time to being a full-time artist ever since.
Láolú has worked with those such as Taraji P. Henson, Lupita Nyongo, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beats, Danielle Brooks, and has had his Sacred Art of the Ori body ritual featured on Beyoncé’s 2016 Grammy award winning “Lemonade”. Láolú has graced the covers of The New York Times alongside having features in The Fader, Vogue, Vice, CNN, BBC, and more.
His growing list of collaborations includes brands such as Kenneth Cole, Nike, Equinox Fitness, Starbucks, Belvedere, Bvlgari, TED and many more. Láolú Senbanjo’s captivating multimedia works explore the connection between African art and spiritualism. Trained as a lawyer in Nigeria, Senbanjo moved to Brooklyn in 2013 to pursue his dream of becoming an artist.
LLADRÓ, THE PORCELAIN OF THE 21ST CENTURY
For 70 years, Lladró has been cultivating an exceptional know-how in porcelain in its sole factory in the world, located in Valencia, Spain. Sculptors and artisans craft each piece with precision, employing an artisanal process that combines ancient techniques with a distinctive palette of colors. Lladró explores the enormous creative potential of this noble material through both its in-house creative teams and collaborations with celebrated designers and contemporary artists. The brand’s universe encompasses sculptures, lighting, decorative objects, and fashion accessories. Since 2016, it has been owned by the PHI Industrial fund.
Lladró, renowned globally, serves as an ambassador for Spain in over 120 countries, exporting its creations through a carefully chosen network of its own boutiques and authorized distributors, including more than 1200 points of sale worldwide.
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