Throughout history, homes have been more than just places to live; they have been sites of storytelling, connection and culture. For Black communities, these spaces carry an even deeper significance, serving as places of rest and sanctuaries for resilience, creativity and collective action. From living rooms that fostered civil rights conversations to kitchens where traditions were passed down, interiors shape the way we experience the world around us. The exhibition Liberatory Living: Protective Interiors & Radical Black Joy at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco, United States, celebrates this heritage, showcasing the powerful intersection of design and liberation through furnishings, textiles and art. On view from October 02, 2024 - March 02, 2025, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the ways Black domestic spaces have been central to cultivating safety, belonging and joy across the African diaspora.

Curated by Key Jo Lee, chief of Curatorial Affairs and Public Programs at MoAD, the exhibition gathers African diasporic contemporary artists and designers, ceramicists and furniture designers to transform the museum’s three floors into a visual narrative of Black liberation and design. Each piece on display not only reflects the radical imagination of its creator but also aims to honour the long history of Black homes as spaces of refuge and resistance. As the museum’s Executive Director Monetta White notes, “This special exhibition is the first of its kind at MoAD, highlighting luminaries from the field of design while critically centring how Black domestic and home interiors serve as sites of care and rest.”

The exhibition’s framework draws from the ideas of two iconic Black feminist scholars, bell hooks and Elizabeth Alexander. hooks’ concept of ‘homeplace’ and Alexander’s exploration of the ‘Black interior’ serve as thematic anchors for Liberatory Living. Both theorists emphasise the importance of the home as a place where thought, creativity and joy are nurtured, making these interior spaces essential to the sustenance of Black life. “Working across disparate mediums, geographies and philosophies, the designers and artists respond to the enduring need to construct a space of one’s own,” says the curator. “Their practices insist upon safe-keeping and harnessing joy against diasporic histories of uprootedness, dwelling within the restorative power of inhabiting beauty.”

From chairs that cradle their sitters like a second skin to lamp designs, the works on display push the boundaries of what home interiors can mean, functionally and symbolically. Across the museum’s first floor, the showcase unfolds with Love Quest (2022) by multidisciplinary artist Nandipha Mntambo. This leather and timber chair design envelops the sitter within ruffled folds of leather, evoking a deep sense of comfort and care. Nearby, Sandra Githinji Studio presents a sculptural floor lamp that evokes African hairstyles and symbolically connects the light to the divine realm, while Canadian artist, Kapwani Kiwanga’s archival prints from the Greenbook series trace the history of safe travel spaces for African Americans during the Jim Crow era, a period marked by racial segregation and systemic discrimination in the United States. These pieces remind visitors of the deep connection between Black interiors and the wider world, showing how interior design has always been intertwined with freedom and survival.

The second floor highlights the role of objects and materials in reflecting the daily lived experiences and histories of Black communities. Here, the Dignity Health Gallery features a Cabinet of curiosities by American designer and social practice artist Norman Teague. His work calls back to the historical function of these cabinets as precursors to museums, places where precious objects were collected and displayed. The intricate craftsmanship of the cabinet offers a glimpse into how African diasporic design practices blend tradition with contemporary art and vision. Complementing the artist’s work, Zanele Muholi’s wallpaper brings a bold reinterpretation of Black identity through striking black-and-white self-portraits. This backdrop underscores the South Africa-based artist’s radical depiction of Black existence, providing a powerful statement about representation.

Another highlight on this floor is Mam'uNoSekshin (2023), a four-foot-tall bronze sculpture by Zizipho Poswa. This piece celebrates nature’s bounty and its role in life-affirming practices, positioning domestic interiors as places where nature and culture intertwine. Interior designer Sheila Bridges revisits history in her wallpaper patterns, including the famed Harlem Toile du Jouy and Zwarte Piet. Her reimagined Toile du Jouy transports viewers to 18th century France, where the pastoral scenes are sharply recontextualised to reflect Harlem life, while her design featuring the controversial Blackface character takes on Dutch colonial imagery with a critical eye. The playful yet potent recasting of these historical themes brings a new narrative to the fore; one that interrogates how interior design can challenge long-held perceptions of Black life and culture.

Sculptural seating by Michael Bennett and traditional stoneware by Franco-Beninese ceramicist King Houndekpinkou similarly push boundaries, merging the sacred with the everyday. Bennett’s PEWS (2023) seating, with its abstract forms, draws from African diasporic gatherings and seeks to honour the collective experience of Black communities. Houndekpinkou’s glazed stoneware pieces connect directly with the spiritual practices of Voodoo in Benin, grounding the exhibit in ancestral reverence.

Malene Barnett, a multidisciplinary artist and textile designer, draws inspiration from her family’s love for ornament and adornment. Her debut collection of ceramic tiles, vessels and wallpaper on display celebrate craft as a devotional practice, paying homage to her grandmother and mother. Barnett's new works are a personal tribute to kinship and legacy, demonstrating how deeply personal narratives can be woven into the fabric of functional art.

On the third floor, the exhibition takes a more communal turn with ceramic artist Chuma Maweni’s furniture from his Imbizo Ibanjiwe series. The pieces, including a hand-crafted dining table and chairs, reference the Nguni tradition of calling an Imbizo, a gathering convened by traditional leaders. Maweni’s work masterfully merges this cultural practice with modern furniture design, inviting viewers to reflect on the role of modern design in creating communal spaces. His fellow South African artist, Andile Dyalvane, continues this spiritual and cultural exploration through earthenware that reflects his Xhosa ancestry and connection to the land, much like his 2021 iThongo exhibition at Friedman Benda in New York.

French design duo dach&zephir also contribute to this celebration of nature with their brass lighting designs inspired by tropical leaves native to the rivers of the Guadeloupe islands in the Caribbean. Their organic forms echo the beauty of the natural world while bringing warmth and life to interior spaces, showcasing how light can serve as both a functional element and an artistic expression.

One of the standout pieces in the third-floor gallery is Bennett’s Paw Paw’s dining chair. Made from African Sapele wood, the chair challenges the rigid forms of Western furniture design, pushing the boundaries of what domestic furniture can be. Cheryl Riley’s inventive furniture and Lina Iris Viktor and Angela Hennessy’s mixed-media works continue this theme of reimagining everyday objects. Using materials like silk, wire and fabric, their creations elevate the domestic to the level of fine art, while simultaneously honouring forgotten histories and traditions.

Through its vivid narrative, Liberatory Living is a powerful exploration of place-making through design. It reclaims the home as a space for empowerment. The pieces on display challenge conventional ideas of what interiors can represent, offering a reflection on how homes can shape and sustain Black life. It is a celebration of spaces that offer more than rest; they offer refuge, growth and a path toward freedom.

‘Liberatory Living: Protective Interiors & Radical Black Joy’ is on view from October 02, 2024 - March 02, 2025, at the Museum of African Diaspora, San Francisco.