Have a Seat: More Than a Conversation Piece
Back in March, a lot of shops around the city were boarding up. On these abandoned shop’s boards emerged these hauntingly beautiful and cathartic graffiti pieces. Christopher saw the hurt in our community and he knew he needed to “find the beauty and poetry in this divisive time.” Christopher Al-Jumah, a designer who uses architecture as a device to push the needle forward, began photographing these shops to capture this moment.
Christopher wants to support healthier conversations, rather than “screaming at each other over the internet.” He thought — why not design a conversation piece that becomes the place TO have the conversation. Christopher is designing furniture pieces out of the very wood that boarded up these shops as the focal point.
Christopher is starting with 5 chairs and these pieces will be exhibited, auctioned off and the proceeds will be donated to organizations that support Black Folx in our own community. He is also partnering these pieces with a photography book of the original storefronts and the chairs.
Where ArtCube Nation comes in!
For this project to come to life, Christopher wants to partner with carpenters and steelworkers to blend the graffitied boards with a steel tubing frame.
He already has the wooden boards; if you can donate materials like steel tubing that would also greatly help this philanthropic-passion project. Reach out to Christopher if you want to get involved or if you have any questions.
About Christopher Al-Jumah
Christopher is a designer who comes from an architectural and graphics perspective -
specifically relating to furniture design. His work is charged with raising the voices and
supporting underrepresented communities. He is currently working on a community-based cafe in Crown Heights called Daughter. This last year he worked on the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service’s, “Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth.” with WeShouldDoItAll, an exhibit that tells the story and celebrates twenty African American men who changed history Follow him below to be on the lookout!
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