Ola-Dele Kuku
29 May 2014 | by Janantoon
Ola-Dele Kuku (photo: Jan Mariën)
When I first saw one of Ola-Dele Kuku’s furniture pieces, I was immediately captured. This piece was exhibited in the Design Museum Ghent.
Actually, ‘furniture’ is a misleading label. The objects he creates certainly present themselves as furniture, but they do not limit themselves to mere functionality. All his creations boast an unusual playfulness, as if they are made solely for the homo ludens.Last week Ola-Dele showed me his older work Teatro del’Archivio in the Brussels gallery of Philippe Laeremans.
This is a piece of furniture that has the presence of a sculpture, a monumental work, while at the same time it seems like a big toy. Like a little boy with shining eyes one wants to try everything: rotate the big cylinder, the inner cylinder, open every door, open every drawer and search for hidden places.