
Before Ini Archibong’s designs exist in the physical realm, they start off in the spiritual one. Hence the name of the designer’s first solo exhibition, held at New York’s Friedman Benda gallery this past fall: Hierophany, which refers to a manifestation of the sacred.
The show launched four new works, including Manna, a chandelier that hangs strings of glowing beads and colourful glass cloches from a dense cluster of thin brass rods.

Channelling ancient mythology, world religions and Archibong’s Nigerian ancestry, its forms are rooted in rich traditions yet look distinctly contemporary. (No wonder another chandelier from the collection was swiftly acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for its new Afrofuturist period room.) Wonderfully evocative, it sets the perfect mood for deep meditation.
Ini Archibong’s Manna Chandelier Inspires Deep Spiritual Enlightenment
A sculptural showpiece “manifests the sacred” to create an eclectic composition of metal and glass.