Knock Knock! Peek into Chainky Reindorf’s Atelier

Chainky Reindorf is a Ghanaian-born, New York-based artist who is known for her works using textiles, (re)claiming agency in self-expression.

Photography Sean Davidson, Interview by Kristen de la Vallière

From left to right Boa Pouf Cotton Candy, Last Stool and on the couch with Chainky, Glitch Throw Coral / Rust Red

From left to right [Boa Pouf Cotton Candy](/furniture/sofas-and-poufs/boa/30494), [Last Stool](/furniture/chairs-and-stools/last/13636) and on the couch with Chainky, [Glitch Throw Coral / Rust Red](/accessories/throws-and-cushions/glitch/30511) — From left to right Boa Pouf Cotton Candy, Last Stool and on the couch with Chainky, Glitch Throw Coral / Rust Red

You live in Binghamton, New York; what drew you to this city, and what do you love most about it?

I ended up in Binghamton by way of Ithaca (Cornell University), which is where I got my MFA. Binghamton is less than an hour’s drive from Ithaca, and it’s where I met my partner as well as my current gallerist. There is such a great creative community here, and so many genuinely nice people who lookout for each other and endeavor to help each other out as much as they can, which is amazing.

You are originally from Ghana. Can you tell us a bit about the Ghanaian design and how that informed the home you built for yourself and your aesthetic in the States?

Ghanaian design is quite eclectic, in that, because we have quite a rich cultural and visual history, there is so much inspiration to pull from. Color and texture and pattern play a huge role in what makes up that world. Everything carries meaning, or closely references something that does, which makes design objects even more special. There are a lot of brilliant craftspeople making amazing work in the country, from lost-wax casting artisans to Kente weavers, to name a few which leads to a high occurrence of statement pieces.

“Naturally, I am drawn to statement pieces, as well as color and texture, and I love to incorporate them into my space, as visual candy.”

At the same time, I try to avoid clutter as much as I can since I am quite messy in my art-making practice, so I turn to my space to provide refuge when I get overwhelmed or overworked and need to rest. My space has a mix of things both little and not so little, that I think are interesting to look at, but also bring me joy.

How does your interior influence your work?

I’m always thinking about color combinations, and especially for my recent paintings, creating landscapes where strange perspectives and objects reside. I often use my furniture as props and stand-ins when I’m trying to figure out a scene as well, which has come in handy many times. My interior literally helps me with my artmaking in that way.

What is an object in your home that you couldn’t live without?

It’s going to have to be a tie between my green Ligne Roset Togo couch set and more recently Hem’s Boa Pouf. The Togo set is my most prized possession. If there was a fire, I would throw them all out the window and then jump out right after them. It would probably be a soft landing too. So, win-win.

The Boa pouf arrived at a crucial time in my practice and has become a contemplation chair of sorts. It is my immediate go-to when I need to rest or stretch during an intense workday and also if I need to figure something out compositionally, I tend to sit in it and survey my work from a distance.

Chainky resting on Boa Pouf Cotton Candy

As an artist, you work a lot with textiles as a medium. Can you tell us about your creative practice and how you work with textiles?

I am interested in textiles and our relationship to it. I have a deep interest in clothing and how we can be transformed through what we wear, especially through the history of masquerading culture, specifically in west Africa. My current project is based on a fictional masquerade secret society I created, and the works that I have been making recently act as a visual reference to illustrate and populate this world I have created.

How has living between two very different countries, cultures, and continents informed your work and your aesthetic?

I think my first instinct when I moved was to make comparisons: This is better than that, things are more efficient here than there, people do this better there than here, and so on. Over time, however, I have become more cognizant of and question more the ideas of tradition and the this-is-the-way-things-are-done-isms.

Being removed from each space gives me a more objective perspective. And through my art practice, I can propose alternative ways of seeing and thinking about these ideas, other than what is generally known to be the norm.

What’s an interior trend you will never be okay with?

An all-white space, I would be itching to introduce color.

What piece in your home has the best story behind it?

I think the funniest thing that happened is when I moved into my current space, the moving crew thanked me for the fact that the Togo couches were so light and easy to carry. I don’t think they expected it to be so easy, and they were grateful for it. At the same time my glass table is deceptively heavy, so I guess things balanced out in the end.