lost in traslation

THE CHALLENGE

Transform design feedback into multi-sensory storytelling

During my Cossette internship, I discovered my visual skills outpaced my narrative abilities. The feedback was clear: stronger storytelling would create deeper connections with audiences. This installation became my education in dimensional narrative.
The goal was to create an experience that:

Communicates cultural duality through physical space
Explores language barriers between generations
Resonates across diverse audiences without relying on words alone

THE PROCESS

Building a memory from analog fragments

The installation demanded skills I'd never combined:

‍Motion design for CRT display content
‍Electrical work for custom lighting
‍DVD authoring using analog techniques
‍Set design recreating childhood spaces

Each element carried memory: the plastic woven mat from Nigerian markets, a chair matching those in my ancestral home in Ijebu, family photographs spanning generations.

THE INSIGHT

Language divides even when stories unite

The breakthrough came from understanding how far Canadians are spread across provinces and how mail brings them together during holidays. Postage stamps became the perfect metaphor—they carry love across distances, just like a warm cup of coffee shared between friends.

This mirrors the immigrant experience: recognizing your heritage's rhythm without grasping its full meaning.

THE SOLUTION

A living room suspended between two worlds

Lost in Translation recreates my ancestral home while acknowledging its distance:

Vintage CRT TV: Displays animated Yoruba typography (honoring my father's work as a typesetter)
‍Worn furniture: Authentic pieces evoking Nigerian households
‍Family photographs: Generations displayed on familiar shelves
‍Dual audio: Overlapping stories that share wisdom but not language

The space invites viewers into cyclical Yoruba storytelling—where endings become beginnings, and understanding transcends translation.

THE IMPACT

Storytelling expanded my practice

DesignTO 2025 selection validated this narrative approach. Viewers across cultures reported feeling the universal tension of heritage and modernity. Most importantly, I learned to create dialogue through environment—proving that the strongest stories engage all senses.