Eluke

Founded in 2017 by metalsmith, textile artist and recycling enthusiast, Etiti Ayeni, ELUKE is based in Chicago and gains its visual inspiration from Etiti’s West African and American Gullah/Geechee culture. Being half American and Nigerian, Etiti uses tactile design as a tool of self-expression and a vehicle to explore the depths of herself and her dual ancestry. ELUKE intentionally confronts identity and how it shapes our human experiences and the ways in which we choose to express our individuality. With that aim in mind, ELUKE aims to navigate cultural settings in a manner that uplifts, educates, and delights. Originally born in Atlanta, Georgia, she considers herself a nomad – a passenger of life that embraces color, beauty, innovation and equity. Growing up, Etiti recalls being a “painfully shy kid” and struggled to open herself up to others. Creativity was the way she communicated with the world – color, art and fashion was her language. Fostered by her painter and photographer father and spiritual and entrepreneurial mother, Etiti experiments with found objects, which transformed into one-of-a-kind adornments. During and after college, Etiti traveled frequently to West Africa where she scoured markets for fabric that local tailors would otherwise discard. Repurposing these materials for her own work turned into a life-long mission to create, reuse and rebuild and create a world that feels colorful and purpose-driven.