Ever thought a room could feel alive? Ibby Njoya, the Cameroonian-British artist and spatial designer, transforms everyday spaces into vibrant, living canvases. His work strips down the ordinary, using raw materials and a fearless vision to create environments that speak for themselves. Ibby’s designs don’t just fill a space – they challenge what a room can be, turning architecture into art for the here and now.
hube: Your sets often feel like living, breathing worlds – full of secrets and layered textures. When you’re conceptualising, are you building from a memory, a feeling, or pure imagination?
Ibby Njoya: All of them. It’s impossible to imagine without memory and feelings.
h: Your recent collaboration with Campbell Addy for the I <3 Campbell’s exhibition explored themes of identity and colour. How did you design a space that amplified his photography while keeping your unique voice as a set designer?
IN: We spoke a lot about what Campbell wanted to say with his exhibition, and how he wanted people to feel. Through this, I tried expanding his photography into the space, as an extension of what was being said there.
h: For The Theory of Colour, you created a space that seemed to vibrate with energy. What inspired the project, and how do you translate abstract ideas about colour into something tangible and experiential?
IN: The theme of the project was Theory of Colour. I wanted to translate it into an immersive installation that would make people see the time passing through the colour movement. There are so many ways of perceiving and using colours, for me, I think I’m in a constant exploration of that.
h: You’ve worked with Paolo Roversi, Rafael Pavarotti, and Campbell Addy – each with a distinct visual language. How do you adapt your design approach to complement their unique storytelling styles?
IN: I think because we have a strong visual identity and we know how to communicate, we understand each other, and we can create infinite worlds together.
h: Your set for McGirr’s McQueen in American Vogue was a masterclass in balance – enhancing the narrative without overwhelming the fashion. How do you decide where the set ends and the story begins?
IN: The set is part of the story so they go hand in hand, it’s about finding a balance and identifying the most important part of the story you aim to tell and how their environment helps get that story across as best we can.
h: Colour is central to your work, from vibrant Cameroonian-inspired palettes to more subdued, textural compositions. Do you see colour as a tool for storytelling, or is it the story itself?
IN: Both, it depends on how you look at it and how to choose to communicate your intent. Colour is both the story and the subject, it lives in everything around us and has been part of the story long before we existed. Colour is infinitely important in every aspect of our lives, the trick is learning how to communicate with it.
h: Cultural identity runs through your work in a way that feels personal but universal. How do you ensure that your heritage informs your designs without becoming overly literal?
IN: My heritage is part of me and my identity so it becomes naturally infused in my work, it’s just part of who I am.
h: With Balmain’s Fall 2024 men’s collection, you fused high fashion with immersive design. What was the most challenging – and rewarding – part of working with such an iconic brand?
IN: Unfortunately we didn’t create the set for this but we collaborated with Olivier and Imruh on some of the looks on the runway. The painting we created for this was displayed on jackets, bags, shoes, t-shirts and many more. It was a pleasure to work with the team on this project.
h: Your work feels like a dance between maximalism and restraint. How do you know when a set is complete when it’s time to stop adding and let it breathe?
IN: You have to feel it! If it doesn’t feel right don’t do it.
Images courtesy of IBBY NJOYA