UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Typochair (Chair, Chair),” an abstract artwork created by Folayemi Wilson, professor of art in the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture’s School of Visual Arts, is on display in the National Museum of African American History and Culture as part of the exhibition “Reset: Abstraction Embodied in Design.”
Obtained by the museum in 2023 for its permanent collection, “Typochair,” which has a rectangular seat, a high back and armrests, is entirely constructed from aluminum and incorporates the letters C, H, A, I, R, using the typeface “Neutraface” inspired by the work of modernist architect Richard Neutra.
“Reset: Abstraction Embodied in Design,” features works that recognize traditional African art’s foundational role as a source for the clean lines and functional simplicity of modernism. In these contemporary offerings, from seating to lamps, design carries the imprints of ancestral memory and art movements influenced by African aesthetics.
Reset accompanies the museum’s “Revelation: A Journey into Abstraction” exhibition, which explores the profound range and depth of abstract art created by African American artists from the mid‑20th century to the present. This exhibition reintroduces key works from the museum's collection and debuts new acquisitions, offering fresh context and perspectives.
Even though there is a history of African roots in European Modernism, at the same time, Wilson explained, abstraction in the American imagination does not always foreground Black contributions or practitioners as a compelling part of the canon.
“For some, these two companion exhibitions make a corrective to this and show all the ways Black makers contribute to art and design in the most beautiful and stunning ways,” Wilson said. “For others of us, it is a satisfying and joyful celebration.”
With abstraction and reset as the themes of the exhibitions, Wilson said “Typochair” not only fits, but can inspire visitors to the exhibition to think critically about design.
“I hope there is an appreciation of the ingenuity and originality in design, inventive use of materials and technologies, and the indomitable creativity that exists in the artistic community within the African Diaspora,” Wilson said.
For more on this, and the museum’s other exhibitions, visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture's exhibitions webpage.