AMAH Conversations S1 EP1: Yegwa Ukpo and Adeju Thompson On Space

In our debut episode of AMAH Conversations, we open with designer Adeju Thompson and cultural curator Yegwa Ukpo, one time co-founder of Stranger Lagos on space. This episode is an homage to Stranger Lagos, a space that influenced Daniel Obasi in shaping the vision for AMAH. Together, they explore the meaning of space not just as physical architecture, but as emotional, cultural, and spiritual ground. From Stranger Lagos’ pioneering role in creating a hub for radical thought and artistic experimentation, to Adeju’s fashion practice that interrogates gender, culture, and community, this conversation unpacks how spaces shape creativity and identity. This episode sets the tone for AMAH Conversations: a podcast that treats every topic as a living archive of memory, influence, and possibility. You can watch and listen to the full episode on our substack Bios: Yegwa Ukpo is an interdisciplinary practitioner based in Lagos and Calabar, navigating the intersections of design, indigenous knowledge systems, and community building. Formerly co-founder of Stranger, a pioneering Lagos concept store and cultural hub, he now leads Newtype Studios, where he explores frameworks for knowledge and making through projects like Hyperculture and New Parameters of Making. His curatorial work spans Lagos Fashion Week’s Woven Threads, the International Fashion Showcase (Best Curator Award, 2015), and British Council initiatives. A mentor, writer, and foresight strategist, Yegwa’s practice reimagines design as a philosophical tool for cultural preservation, innovation, and collective flourishing. Adeju Thompson is a Lagos-born designer and founder of Lagos Space Programme, a genderless design label established in 2018. After studying fashion in the United Kingdom and creating several capsule collections, Adeju returned to Nigeria to build a practice that weaves Yoruba traditions, non-binary concepts, and Afrofuturism into new global narratives. Their work has earned international recognition, including inclusion in the Vogue 100 and Business of Fashion 500, being shortlisted for the 2021 LVMH Prize for Young Designers, and winning the 2023 International Woolmark Prize. Select pieces from Lagos Space Programme are held in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) and the Museum of Arts and Design (New York). Grounded in heritage yet future-facing, Adeju continues to use fashion as a tool to expand imagination, center African craftsmanship, and redefine the possibilities of design.