Fine and Applied Arts graduate of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Oluwaseyi Gbadebo, creates beautiful Afro-urban pieces with concrete. He shares his story in this interview.
Oluwaseyi Gbadebo fell in love with drawing and painting long before he studied Fine and Applied Arts at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso. Because of his passion for art, he interned with a neighborhood artist before heading to LAUTECH and graduating in 2011.
But then, as a flair artist who wanted to distinguish himself, he opted for a unique medium; concrete. In 2021, he established Konkere Designs “to incorporate beauty, creativity, and culture into the homes of people across the world.”
Expatiating, he said, “Concrete is not a common material for making furniture pieces, so it takes a master craftsman to create functional pieces with it. When I conceived this idea, I envisioned building a timeless furniture and lifestyle brand that people would love. Another ‘silly’ reason, as people call it, is to create coffee tables strong enough that it erodes fear of damage when sat on.”
On how he resolved concrete’s weight issue, Gbadebo admitted having to research and experiment. “Based on this, we developed other aggregates and alternatives to substitute and change the ratio of the usual aggregate hence producing lightweight pieces. One of the most frequent inquiries we get from prospective customers is how the weight of concrete is a good fit for home interiors. We tell our customers to worry more about the elegance our piece exudes, not the weight, as we have found a way to make it lighter than expected.”
Was he afraid of setting out on the concrete pathway? “I am bold and courageous because I have a proven record of taking on daunting tasks and challenges, but has it been easy? Not really. Facing challenges in your personal life is different from facing them in business. Also, having a business idea is peripheral; starting it is a step ahead, but sustaining it is the bull’s eye that requires a high degree of tenacity to hit. Being self-driven is a pertinent characteristic for business success, as there will be days when certain factors beyond your control will discourage you. On days like this, you may be unmotivated; however, how you handle it will depend on your vision’s magnitude.”
Gbadebo also explained his deliberate preference for African identity. “Konkere means concrete in Yoruba, and creating Afro-urban pieces that incorporate our culture into the homes and spaces of people ties back to our brand essence. Through the product names such as Ibukun, Ola, Ade, Ayo, etc., you can deduce where the brand is from and resonate with it as an African anywhere you come across it. We are currently working on a collection whose design will tell a more elaborate story of our African culture. Our culture is rich and unique, so we must preserve it by all means – creating a fusion of contemporary and traditional designs. Our tagline is ‘Our heritage is Concrete Strong’.
But running the business has not been a piece of cake. “Running a business in Nigeria is challenging. This is a fact that every business owner can attest to, he started. “We are having our fair share of this. Manufacturing in itself involves a lot of processes and touchpoints. Manufacturers are not the luckiest in this part of the world. Imagine dealing with inadequate power supply, shortage of raw materials, and other structural challenges. No wonder our industry has seen a tremendous decline in recent times.
“Another major challenge is recruiting competent hands – finding the right talent that understands the industry we operate in has been an issue because our niche is unique and not saturated. What we do is not mainstream, so not many people are trained or experienced. This is why a lot of training and induction happens before anyone comes on board. Nevertheless, as a brand, we are not letting these challenges weigh us down; we are here for it all – we are making progress and improving our process. The idea is to love what you do. Once that’s in place, navigating your obstacles will be a piece of cake.”
Gbadebo has big dreams for Konkere Designs and is actively working towards realising them. “My vision for Konkere Designs is to become a household name worldwide. I want people to tell a story of how we have impacted the world by creating timeless pieces and jobs for people from all walks of life despite our humble beginnings.
“I look forward to having a brand that connects people of different cultures and backgrounds by selling the franchise to individuals and organisations to create pieces that resonate with their culture and location. I see a franchise model where we can train people to produce and customise the products to fit their culture.
“We plan to use the Konkere brand to break boundaries and change the notion that concrete furniture is not functional.”
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