Olalekan Jeyifous is the Nigerian Artist Behind Coachella's 50-Foot 'Crown Ether' Sculpture

Get familiar with the Brooklyn-based, Nigerian designer and architect who created the 50-foot installation on display at Coachella.

Olalekan Jeyifous is the Nigerian Artist Behind Coachella's 50-Foot 'Crown Ether' Sculpture

It's Coachella season, which means that all the "cool kids" are in Coachella Valley wearing beads and face paint, and enjoying performances by some of the biggest acts in music. This year, that list includes Kendrick Lamar, Future, Stormzy, Sampha and many more.


The live performances aren't the only must-sees at the festival this year. Also present, is a towering, 50-foot sculpture called the "Crown Ether" by Brooklyn-based, Nigerian artist, Olalekan Jeyifous

"Crown Ether" explores the “relationship of the terrestrial to the sublime,” says the Cornell-trained artist who was partly raised in Ilé-Ifẹ̀, Nigeria in a statement on Coachella's website. The installation is a variant on a conventional tree house that represents "a coming together of people around the music and the arts."

Jeyifous' latest design is an experiment in the symbolism and science of public architecture. The trained architect and designer was previously Artist-in Residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts and in the Visible Futures Lab at the School of Visual Arts. His drawings, murals and sculptures have been exhibited throughout the world. You can see more of his work via his website.

Thandiwe Newton in a grey sleeveless dress, wearing red lipstick and crystal earrings, poses against a pink background
Arts + Culture

What's in A Name: How African Names Get Lost in Translation

From NBA stars to Grammy nominees, prominent Africans have often had their names misspelled or mispronounced. While some have pushed back and reclaimed it, others embrace it.

Person in white shirt arranging hair, standing by shelves of colorful dinnerware.
News

Kiano Moju on ‘Africali’ and Redefining African Cuisine Globally

The chef and food media star shares how her debut cookbook celebrates her Kenyan and Nigerian roots–as well as her California upbringing–through accessible, globally inspired recipes.