The manner in which we sit shapes our bodies, but also exerts an influence on our thinking and behaviour. A Trifle of Colour, a seating system by London-based designer and artist Yinka Ilori, invites users to look at the chair as a social tool and examine the role it plays in shaping human interactions.

A Trifle of Colour is a chair-bench hybrid made with removable and adjustable backrests, inviting the sitter to decide the chair’s configuration and role for themselves. Four different types of chair can be formed in Ilori’s system, allowing for four different situations which the sitter can engage with. The installation itself is built from multiple layered sheets of ply-board, each of which is upholstered in a different textile and arranged in a cross formation.

For the installation, Ilori chose to work with Kvadrat Febrik’s Sprinkles textile, due to the variety of colours, textures and patterns it provides. Throughout Ilori’s design practice, colour and pattern are employed as a form of social memory that translates into humorous, provocative and engaging furniture pieces.

The Knit! project represented an opportunity for Ilori to continue to play with those themes and motifs. Both the shape and colour of the installation’s chairs can be altered by the user depending on their mood, resulting in a piece that is inviting, playful and interactive.