For Knoll, Dozie Kanu Turns Furniture into Feeling

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Dozie Kanu has been dealing with a lot lately, so when we spoke, he admitted he was feeling tired. He mentioned it casually, but it really shaped how the rest of our conversation went, and it led to a very honest discussion.

It’s no surprise things are hectic as we approach Milan Design Week – the biggest event in the design world, with hundreds of happenings planned. Designer Kanu is set to unveil a new collection with Knoll, a hugely influential name in modern design. When I asked if he saw any end to the busy schedule, he joked, “It’s actually getting more intense!”

Although he’s been heavily focused on it recently, the partnership with Knoll represents a significant achievement. It’s his largest industrial design project to date: a collection of leather and steel furniture featuring flowing tassels that gently move with foot traffic, creating a soft, dynamic effect.

Inside Kanu’s studioInside Kanu’s studioInside Kanu’s studio

The more we discuss this, the less it seems like a special, isolated event. He doesn’t see it that way at all. Instead, he consistently connects it to his overall work. He explains, “I think of design as a way to explore ideas and, more importantly, to engage people.”

The same concept appears repeatedly throughout his work, though with some variation. He clearly values making his art accessible, but avoids oversimplification. He frequently begins with recognizable subjects – things like chairs and tables – and then develops them into pieces that explore deeper, more abstract ideas.

So, Kanu built on something he started back in 2021, and it’s really cool. It’s not about what the piece is, but how it moves. These tassels are subtle – sometimes you barely notice them – but they catch the light and just draw your eye. He says they make the artwork feel…alive, almost. It’s hard to explain, but it definitely gets a reaction out of me. It just feels emotionally engaging, you know?

It’s remarkable how seamlessly this project fits with his existing work. He isn’t so much branching into design as he is expanding on what he already does. He also avoids being labeled or categorized, especially within the world of “collectible design,” preferring to remain flexible and undefined.

He explains that his work often prioritizes the aesthetic over practicality. He can suggest what something could do without actually making it functional. He feels ‘exhibition maker’ best describes what he does – not because it’s a simple label, but because it allows for endless possibilities. For him, exhibitions are places where diverse objects can simply exist together, without needing a clear purpose or a specific interpretation. He believes there’s no single ‘right’ way to experience anything within that space.

Dozie Kanu’s Knoll collectionDozie Kanu’s Knoll collectionDozie Kanu’s Knoll collection

This mindset also seems to influence how he lives his life. In 2018, he left New York and moved to Portugal, finding a place in a large warehouse about an hour from Lisbon. He doesn’t see it as running away from anything, but rather opening himself up to new opportunities and seeing what happens when daily stresses lessen. He calls it one of the best choices he’s ever made. He explains that New York forced a constant cycle of moving materials between workshops due to cost and practical concerns. Portugal, however, allowed him to slow down. “Having enough space makes all the difference,” he says. “Things can simply exist, and eventually they’ll reveal their potential.”

The image of still objects waiting for change is powerful, but feels a little different from the fast pace he’s currently discussing. His work is becoming more ambitious, and with that comes increased expectations. He also suggests the pressures of the outside world are harder to shut out now. As he puts it, people are searching for meaning when it seems increasingly difficult to find.

He recently had an exhibition in Milan, and he felt a strange distance there – between his artwork, the people viewing it, and the larger world outside. He rarely talks about it with such emotion. “I put a lot of personal effort into that work,” he explained, “but the audience was mostly wealthy, white collectors.”

He says it with a slight chuckle, but it’s clear he’s serious. He’s really thinking about who this work is intended for, and what it means to create something when the existing structures don’t quite fit your needs.

That same sense of underlying tension is also present in the Knoll project. Knoll is a brand with a strong, established history, and this new work doesn’t quite align with that tradition. It’s a subtle change, but noticeable if you pay attention. The current design director, Jonathan Olivares, who initiated the collaboration between Kanu and Knoll, is largely responsible for this shift. He believes Olivares is a perfect fit for the Knoll brand.

Knoll is a design company built on the idea of seeking inspiration beyond just furniture, aiming to introduce fresh perspectives to interior spaces. Dozie’s artistic style perfectly aligned with this goal, offering a unique and modern cultural viewpoint.

Dozie Kanu and Jonathan Olivares

He doesn’t present his ideas as firm statements, but rather as something he’s figuring out as he goes. This same understated quality appears throughout his work. For example, the decorative tassels subtly blend Nigerian masquerade traditions with Texan cowboy culture – elements of his background that aren’t explicitly highlighted, but are woven into the artwork itself. He avoids over-explaining anything, and it works – it doesn’t need further clarification.

Returning to Milan feels less important now. While the launch will happen and the designs will be shared, Kanu has been most focused on the creative process itself. He emphasizes the need for genuine inspiration and collaboration with people he admires.

It seems straightforward, but the core idea really stays with you. Despite the new collection’s size and reach, the same drive remains: not to offer definitive answers or fixed interpretations, but to allow the work to constantly evolve.

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2026-04-13 12:26