Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Isaiah Aladejobi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Isaiah, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is Kole, a culturally rooted building block toy system that began as my RISD thesis in 2023.

Kole was born out of a desire to reclaim play as a language, especially for those, like myself, who grew up straddling two worlds: Nigerian tradition and Black American survival. As a first-generation Nigerian American, I knew what it meant to grow up fast, to be resilient, and to sacrifice curiosity for survival. But I also knew I wanted to reconnect with the imagination I was taught to put away.

What started as an academic project has since evolved into a movement that bridges generations, cultures, and communities. Kole can now be in schools, museums, and public workshops. It has opened doors I never imagined, from the United Nations to neighborhood playshops showing me that play can be both resistance and restoration.

Kole isn’t just a product, it’s a purpose.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Art has been part of my identity since preschool, when a teacher first noticed my creative spark. Growing up in a working-class family, I didn’t have the luxury of seeing art as a viable career. But I kept creating, driven by passion and a desire to get better. By high school, I was involved in art programs and part of an engineering academy, which helped me blend technical design with creative exploration.

At Virginia State University, an HBCU, I earned my BFA and found myself immersed in conversations about culture and community. I became an art educator, building curricula that reflected the stories and needs of students across DC. This hands-on teaching experience gave me purpose: to use art as a bridge to community, identity, and joy.

Later, during my time at RISD, I developed Kole, a modular building system that encourages cultural storytelling through play. A turning point came when I learned about Montessori pedagogy. Having gone through public school my whole life, I had never realized the impact of sensory-based learning. It clicked—Kole’s hands-on, tactile nature wasn’t just a design choice; it was a powerful educational tool. That revelation shifted how I thought about engagement and accessibility in my work.

Studying under Cas Holman deepened my understanding of play and design, and helped shape Kole into a system that’s now been featured at the United Nations, in museums, and classrooms. It is more than a toy, it’s a tool for connection.

Looking back, I realize that being born blind in one eye shaped how I engage with the world: through touch, form, and imagination. That perspective often unnoticed guides everything I create.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My creative journey is rooted in the mission to reclaim joy, curiosity, and identity especially for Black and Brown communities through culturally inspired design and educational play.

I believe play is not just for children, it’s a radical, restorative tool that fosters connection, learning, and healing. My work, especially through Kole, aims to create interactive, sensory-based experiences that bridge generational gaps and encourage storytelling rooted in heritage. I’m driven by a desire to disrupt narratives that equate maturity with emotional suppression, particularly for Black men and to design platforms where imagination and cultural pride can coexist unapologetically.

Have you ever had to pivot?

My biggest pivot was deciding to attend grad school at RISD. At the time, everything in DC was falling into place—my art career was gaining momentum, family and friends surrounded me, and opportunities were flowing through my growing network. But after getting accepted into RISD’s Industrial Design program, I made the difficult decision to leave it all behind in pursuit of something unknown.

I didn’t grow up thinking art school was even an option no one encouraged it in high school, and I had never been in a space solely dedicated to creative growth. I didn’t know what to expect from RISD, nor did I care much about the name. To me, it was just a place with resources if I could get there.

I didn’t have the money to relocate until the very last minute. But somehow, I secured my most significant freelance contract, bought a car, and found housing just two weeks before the semester began. I didn’t know a soul in Rhode Island, and the building my GPS led me to turned out to be the one I was moving into. I still questioned whether I belonged, even after I arrived.

I had to work harder than most to feel seen. And yet, I knew staying home meant riding a wave but leaving meant building an ocean. That pivot changed everything.

Contact Info:

• Website: www,pzaycreates.com
• Instagram: @PZaycCreates
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaiahaladejobi/