Canvas Rebel Feature

Meet Isaiah Aladejobi – CanvasRebel Interview

Isaiah Aladejobi, also known as PZay, is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and the founder of Kole—a culturally rooted modular building system that began as his RISD thesis in 2023. Rooted in his experience as a first-generation Nigerian American, Kole addresses the loss of play and imagination often felt by Black and Brown communities due to cultural and societal pressures.

Isaiah’s journey began with a passion for art sparked in preschool. Despite limited support and resources, he pursued creativity through high school art programs and an engineering academy. At Virginia State University (an HBCU), he earned a BFA and immersed himself in cultural and community-focused work. Later, as an art educator in DC, he developed curricula that reflected his students’ identities.

At RISD, Kole was shaped through mentorship from Cas Holman and a deep understanding of Montessori pedagogy, which highlighted the importance of sensory-based learning—something Isaiah had never experienced in public school. Being born blind in one eye also sharpened his engagement with the world through touch, form, and imagination.

Kole has since grown into a tool for connection, featured at the United Nations, in museums, classrooms, and community workshops. Isaiah’s mission is to reclaim joy, curiosity, and cultural identity through play—especially for Black and Brown communities—using Kole as a bridge across generations and stories.

His most meaningful pivot came when he left a thriving art career in DC to attend RISD, despite uncertainty. That leap changed everything and laid the foundation for the impactful work he's doing today.