Ola-dele Kuku

• Name — Ola-Dele Kuku • Born — 8 August 1963 • Birthplace — Lagos, Nigeria • Died — 11 October 2021 • Place of death — Ukkel, Belgium • Education — SCI-Arc Architecture Intermundium • Practice — Ola-Dele Kuku Projects Ola-Dele Kuku (8 August 1963 – 11 October 2021) was a Nigerian architect and artist of Yoruba origin. He lived and worked between Nigeria and Belgium.

Ola-Dele Kuku studied at (SCI-Arc), the Southern California Institute of Architecture (1984 - 1986), in Los Angeles, California, U.S. and in Vico Morcote, Ticino, Switzerland (1986 - 1988). He also attended Architecture Intermundium in Milan, Italy(1988 - 1990), for advanced architecture studies, where he collaborated with Daniel Libeskind on the City Edge project (Berlin), and the Berlin Jewish Museum competition. Kuku was captivated by the study of proportion and created structures to challenge common conception of living space and traditional architectural restraints. At this immaterial production Kuku also having more works related to the subject such as "Opera Domestica" a series consisting of furniture wooden sculpture that condense the structures and functions of architectural space in the object space.

• Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy (dept of Architecture) –'Home for the Muses’ (curator: Prof Remo Dorigati) 1990 - solo • Nagoya International Center, Nagoya, Japan – ‘Teatro Dell'Archivio’ (curator: Julia Chiu) 1995 - group· • Lineart (International Art Fair 20th Century). Ghent, Belgium – ‘Teatro Dell'Archivio’ (curator: Martine Boucher) 1996 – solo • Richard Foncke Gallery, Ghent, Belgium – ‘Circumstances as Consequence’ (curator Richard Foncke) 1997 - solo • World Craft Council, Hannover, Germany (Artistry in Wood) – ‘Objects’ (curator: Inge Vranken)1997 - group • Centre d’Art Contemporain Brussels, Belgium – ‘Detail’ (curator: Martine Boucher) 1998 - group • Nagoya Centre, Nagoya, Japan – ‘New Neighbours’ (Similar Differences) 1999 - group • Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg, Sweden – World Crafts Council European Prize (Fossils & Icons) 1999 - group • Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France – World Crafts Council European Prize (Fossils & Icons) 1999 - group • Temporary & Contemporary TenT Brussels, Belgium – ‘Celestial Mechanics I – VIII’ (curator Philippe Braems)1999 solo • International Biennial Design Festival, Sainte-Etienne, France – ‘Detail’ 2000 – group • Narodni Techniké Museum, Prague, Czech Republic – ‘Similar Differences’ (curator: Martine Boucher) 2000 - group • Teatro dal Verme Milano, Italy (Donation for Child Care Trust) – ‘Aftermath’ (curator: Victor Kanu) 2001 - solo • Middelheim Museum Antwerp Belgium – ‘Experimental Experience’ (curator: Nij De Donker) 2004 - solo. • Swish Art Fair Milan, Italy (Montenapoleone Art Shop) – ‘Objects & Drawings’ (curator: Vilma Redis) 2004 - group. • Porsche Haus Milan, Italy – ‘Objects & Drawings’ (curator Victor Kanu) 2004 - solo. • Torino Art Fair, Torino, Italy – ‘Living with the Fates I-XII’ (curator: Grazia Chiasa - Fondazion D’Ars) 2004 – group. • Galleria Mares, Pavia, Italy – ‘Ola-Dele Kuku Architect’ (curator: Maria-Angela Callisti) 2004 - solo. • Milan Art Fair 2005 - MIART off (Spazio CIN) – ‘Ola-Dele Kuku Prototype’ (curator: Claudio Composti) 2005 - solo. • Galleria Luisa delle Piane, Milan, Italy – ‘Selected works’ (curator: Luisa delle Piane) 2006 - solo. • Musée d’Ixelles Brussels, Belgium - (Art et Histoire1906 à nos jours) ’Agenda Setting’ (curator: Martine Boucher) 2008. • FESMAN III, Dakar, Senegal ‘The Dakar Initiative’ (documentary video on visual culture) 2010 - solo. • Philippe Laeremans Gallery Brussels, Belgium - ‘Speaking in Vernacular’ (exhibition and book launch) 2012 - solo. • Design museum Gent, Belgium - ‘Similar Difference’ Installation - (curator: Bernadette De Loose) 2012 - solo. • 7th Flanders Design Triennial, Genk, Belgium - ‘Agenda Setting’ - (curator: Kurt Vanbelleghem) 2013 - group • Nigerian Pavilion - 15th International Architecture Exhibition, 'Diminished Capacity' - (curator: Camilla Boemio)

Ola-Dele Kuku has lectured and offered seminars at several architecture academies. • Politecnico di Milano – Faculty of Architecture, Milan, Italy • Institut Supérieur d’Architecture La Cambre, Brussels, Belgium • Technical University Delft - Dept. of Architecture, Delft, Holland • University of Lagos – Dept. of Architecture, Lagos, Nigeria • Berlage Institute, Amsterdam, Holland • Akademie voor Bouwkunst, Arnhem, Holland • Akademie voor Bouwkunst, Tilburg, Holland • KU Leuven - Sint Lucas Architectuur, Brussels, Belgium • KU Leuven - Sint Lucas Architectuur, Gent, Belgium