{
  "id": 6707869,
  "title": "ATUNDA turns textile waste into functional Art",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/atunda-turns-textile-waste-into-functional-art",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-11T04:18:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Trust",
    "slug": "daily-trust",
    "url": "https://dailytrust.com/atunda-turns-textile-waste-into-functional-art/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Nigerian art and design studio, ATUNDA, is transforming discarded textile materials into furniture, lighting, home décor, and sculptural objects to showcase the creative and economic value of what is often seen as waste. Founded by Mabayomije Akinyemi-Ekong, ATUNDA was sparked by a walk through Yaba, where mountains of textile offcuts inspired the studio to repurpose the materials into useful and appealing products. This venture focuses on creating functional art while promoting circular material use. The Yaba Collection, ATUNDA's inaugural work, is crafted from fabrics salvaged from Yaba Textile Market and includes furniture and statement art pieces suitable for modern homes, offices, and public areas. The studio's maiden piece, AKOBI—a chair—serves as the initial demonstration that repurposed textiles can be aesthetically and functionally valuable. ATUNDA's methodology combines design, art, and circular principles, ensuring each piece maintains the recovered materials' original colors, textures, and imperfections. This initiative addresses the escalating textile waste issue in Nigeria, where discarded fabric often ends up burned or in public areas. Akinyemi-Ekong aims to alter perceptions of such materials, creating desirable products from what was previously considered waste. Additionally, ATUNDA intends to host workshops to teach participants how to craft small furniture items from recovered textiles and to collaborate with local artisans, potentially extending its circular design model into socially impactful initiatives. In the long term, the studio aspires to establish a Nigerian design practice that demonstrates the creative and economic potential of materials typically regarded as worthless.",
  "summary": "A new Nigerian art and design studio, ATUNDA, is turning discarded textile materials into furniture, lighting, home décor and sculptural objects as it seeks to demonstrate the creative and economic value of materials often regarded as waste. Founded by creative professional Mabayomije Akinyemi-Ekong, ATUNDA was inspired by an encounter with discarded fabric pieces while walking […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}