Benin is a Mood Board for Larry Tchogninou
As the year draws to a close, there’s one more African Design story I want to share. Larry Tchogninou and I met earlier this year at Neocon, where he was doing the spatial design for Sixtysix Magazine’s Paved States exhibition. Larry’s personality is as sparkly as his signature brooches, so I found myself immediately drawn to his unending enthusiasm. Of course, we also bonded over our shared love for Africa.
Larry is a Chicago-based architect and industrial designer who grew up in the suburbs of Cotonou, Benin’s largest city. The inspiration Larry draws from his childhood in West Africa can clearly be seen in the products he designs: from the graphic pattern on a soccer ball to the shape of a carbon steel egg holder. His work is rooted in a bold kind of optimism and the belief that it’s never too late for new ideas.
His Ruptur Vision is a new way to approach product design: not a brand, but a philosophy. A different way to think and reimagine the familiar.
WHERE ARE YOUR ROOTS? I’m originally from Benin in West Africa—that’s my foundation, my roots. It’s where I was born, raised and lived the first moments of my life. Being from that small country is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received. Everywhere I go, I carry its colors with me, because Benin is not just where I’m from, it’s who I am.
TELL US ABOUT WHERE YOU CURRENTLY LIVE? I currently live in Chicago, Illinois, and the city has become an incubator for me. I came here to study, but I’ve grown in every way—professionally, creatively and personally—learning lessons that shape both my practice and my life. Chicago reshaped me, helping me build the career I envision and turn my dreams into reality: it feels like my headquarters.
The Throne (left) was inspired by the royal thrones of Benin (right), a powerful symbol of the Dahomey Kingdom.
DESCRIBE WHAT YOU MAKE AND WHAT YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT. I am an architect and designer, and architecture has always been my first love. Growing up in Benin, my mother was building a house in the suburbs of Cotonou, and every weekend we would visit the construction site. Watching builders mix cement and mortar, laying brick after brick to create the home we would eventually live in, sparked something deep in me. I fell in love with architecture right there.
My second passion, product and industrial design, came later and almost by accident, through a friend, Benjamin Edgar, an industrial designer and multidisciplinary creative. Experiencing his practice opened a new world for me, and that’s how I discovered design. Today, I pursue both architecture and design simultaneously, and my passion lives in the intersection of the two. The beauty of both fields is the ability to imagine something—an object, a piece of furniture, a house, a building—and bring it to life, turning a vision into something that exists in the real world.
This soccer ball & jersey’s abstract red pattern is a love letter to the laterite soccer pitches of Larry’s childhood in Cotonou, Benin.
HOW DOES PLACE INFORM WHAT YOU DO? Places deeply inform what I do, because everything I create is shaped by the environments I’ve lived in. Benin, especially, lives at the foundation of my work—my childhood there is essentially my mood board. The memories, textures, colors, and rhythms of that small country formed who I am today and continue to influence the ideas I bring into my designs.
Chicago, on the other hand, represents my adulthood and a very different perspective. Living here has exposed me to new experiences, new ways of thinking and a Western viewpoint that naturally enters my work as well. Places have such a strong impact because they shape how you think, what you see, the people you meet, the foods you eat, the spaces you spend time in—all of which seep into your creativity. Every place I live in feeds me, inspires me, and ultimately influences what I make. Places are the nest of my ideation process.
Spatial design for Sixtysix Magazine’s Paved States exhibition at Neocon 2025. In collaboration with James Langford.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON AFRICAN DESIGN? I believe it’s a rapidly rising scene—an industry and creative platform that is truly booming. So many designers across the continent are now showing the depth of their talent. Many others who were born and raised in Africa, studied abroad, and returned with immense knowledge are bringing that expertise back home, nourishing and strengthening the community.
What excites me most is that, for the first time, African Design is openly embracing and reaffirming its own identity. For a long time, many designers looked to European and Western references for guidance on what design ‘should’ be. But today, a new generation is accepting its roots—our stories, our history, our materials—and injecting that storytelling directly into their work through form, texture, color, and craft. With design schools emerging across the continent, this movement is only getting stronger. In Benin, Africa Design School is helping shape the next generation of designers, grounding them in both global knowledge and local identity.
The design for this egg holder came from the iconic emblem of the hand holding an egg of King Béhanzin of Benin.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PART OF YOUR PROCESS? My favorite part of my process is the moment when I see my thoughts take physical form for the first time. An idea often begins with a story, then moves into sketches where I explore proportions, shapes, and forms. But the real magic happens when I build that first model, whether it’s 3D-printed or made from cardboard. Seeing a sketch transformed into a three-dimensional object is one of the most powerful moments because it’s the first time an idea steps out of my mind and into reality. I love that moment deeply.
TELL US ABOUT A LOCAL UNSUNG HERO. My local heroes are people I deeply admire and consider mentors. I wouldn’t call them unsung because they are recognized and known, and many have inspired others as well. In Africa, I really admire Nifemi Marcus-Bello, a Nigerian designer whose work I find magical—he creates at an incredibly high level, which is truly inspiring. Here in Chicago, I look up to figures like Virgil Abloh, Don C, Benjamin Edgar, and Norman Teague. Norman, in particular, stands out for his kindness, generosity, and willingness to share knowledge.
I also have friends who support me and my work, and I value them as much as my mentors: James Langford, my design partner at Point of Sail, Noel Bronson, Jae Tips and Mugzy. Also, PlayLab Inc. in Los Angeles, run by Archie and Jeff, whose work ethic and mindset inspire me constantly. Overall, these heroes are people I admire, learn from, and celebrate. I make a point of giving them their flowers every day.
WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE? I’m excited to keep moving forward, growing, and reaching the milestones I’ve always dreamed about. I look forward to working on interesting projects, meeting new people, and growing alongside them, visiting places we’ve never been, and turning long-held dreams into reality. I want to travel, explore the world, connect with creatives I admire—even those who seem far from me—learn from them, and grow through those experiences. Above all, I’m motivated to keep proving to myself that I belong in the design field, that I can make a meaningful impact, and that I can contribute to shaping the world through design while giving my best every day.
Written by Hanneke Lourens, a California-based furniture designer inspired by her South African roots. Hanneke crafts her made-to-order collections and custom work by hand at her studio on the Mendocino Coast.