Studio ANANSI, founded by Evan Jerry in 2018, represents a reflection on modernity with a nod to the Afrocentric elements that have been missed or masked in contemporary design.
Evan’s Caribbean heritage and global education is pronounced in the studio's collections, with the name ANANSI itself being taken from West African and West Indian folklore. The beloved and omniscient character of Anansi is a mythical character known in many fables to be a god of knowledge and storytelling. Anansi is renowned for finding transformative ways of turning relative weakness into strength and virtue. Being raised in Canada, the importance of an ancestral character like this who protects history and knowledge became an important influence on Evan. In turn, the practice of representation and transformation becomes evident in what is produced through his vision. Evan and Studio ANANSI offer a clever and confronting understanding of all our connections to prologue through sculptural, and architectural storytelling.
Studio ANANSI has collaborated with renowned American furniture brand CB2, the intriguing TRNK New York, and design leader Sight Unseen. They’ve been featured in such high-profile international magazines as Interior Design, Wallpaper, Azure, Elle Decor, Architectural Digest and Sight Unseen. Studio ANANSI has also participated in global design exhibitions including the London Design Festival.
