October 29th 2023.
Former Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett has chosen a unique path for his post-NFL career: integrating social justice into his work. He's doing this through projects such as authoring a book and creating designs for public exhibition.
In September, Bennett's work was featured as part of New York City's Archtober celebration of design, which ran from Oct. 12-18. He also established a scholarship at the Heritage School of Interior Design for Black designers.
Bennett has achieved his goal of creating a multi-disciplinary studio, Studio Kër, which is set to open in November. The name is derived from his Senegalese ancestry and means ‘home’. His design ethos is one that works without labels.
At the Archtober celebration, Bennett showcased a design titled ‘Public Display’. It was made from cross-laminated timber and featured slices of life and pieces of sky, along with benches and stools for viewers to contemplate city life.
Bennett's brother, Martellus, a designer, author and retired NFL player, reflected on the design piece and its similarity to his brother. He said, “The piece by itself is strong, but it’s the strongest when people are around it, and why I think that is important is because I feel like Michael is the same way. I think Michael by himself is strong, but Michael with family and people around him is at his strongest.”
Michael Bennett has shown his commitment to social justice through his work, and his dedication to his projects have been inspiring. It's no surprise that his work has been featured at the Archtober celebration, and it's clear that his design ethos will continue to influence the world.
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