Duro Olowu Selects | Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Duro Olowu Selects is the twentieth installment in Cooper Hewitt’s Selects series, which invites designers, writers, and cultural figures to explore and interpret objects in the museum’s collection. This exhibition is curated by Nigerian-British designer Duro Olowu who has received international recognition for his eponymous fashion label, textile designs, and curatorial work, which take inspiration from art and artists both known and unknown, his curious and discerning eye, and his cosmopolitan perspective.

Olowu’s exhibition highlights the theme of pattern and repetition throughout Cooper Hewitt’s collection, demonstrating how skilled and novice makers have relied on pattern to express ideas, preserve heritage, capture attention, and construct objects and environments.

EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS

Print of a map of the Chicago Metropolitan Area which shows data in different colors. — Print, Cadastral Shaking (Chicago v1), 2019; Designed by Amanda Williams (American, born 1974); Printed by Sputnik Press (Chicago, Illinois, USA); Blind debossment, screen and relief printing on archival paper, magnets; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Museum purchase through the American Women’s History Initiative Acquisitions Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, 2021-26-1; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

A vibrant orange rectangular textile with irregular splotches of lighter orange, pink, mauve and yellow, sketch-like thin black stalks of wheat cover the fabric in vertical rows, many partially obscured by clusters of black lines — Textile, Golden Harvest, designed late 1950s, printed early 1960s; Designed by Althea McNish (Trinidadian, active in England, 1924-2020) for Hull Traders, Ltd. (Trawden, Lancashire, England); Screen printed on cotton sateen; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Museum purchase from General Acquisitions Endowment Fund, 2021-1-1; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

Print of three bronze classical female figures dressed in long ruffled robes standing holding hands back-to-back on a white marble plinth supporting a large bouquet of colorful flowers on their heads — Decorative Panel, Three Graces, 1803. Designed by Joseph-Laurent Malaine (French, 1745-1809); Manufactured by Zuber & Cie (Rixheim, Alsace, France); Block printed on handmade paper; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Museum Purchase, 2019-27-1; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

Beaded, dome-shaped, ceremonial hat made up of a rust-colored stylized face, with a patterned cream, red and green helmet-like covering, on top of which stands a chameleon-like creature with a red patterned body and a green face whose mouth is gaping — Ceremonial Hat (Cameroon), 20th century; Unidentified Maker (Bamileke); Basketry covered with acrylic and acetate cloths, embroidered with glass beads; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift of Gail Martin, 2017-63-1; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

Long halter dress with intricate geometric checkered pattern in beige, shades of brown, and black — Dress, Colección Formosa, Linea del Oeste, 2009; Designed by Lydia Novillo (Argentine, born 1969); chaguar fiber in interconnected looping and crochet; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Museum purchase from Friends of Textiles Fund, 2011-17-1; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

Four short golden cylinders support a flat black platform, on top of which rests a large copper cube with rows of coins affixed to the sides. — Tudor Coin Encrusted Table, 1992; Designed by Cheryl R. Riley (American, born 1952) for Right Angle Designs (San Francisco, California, USA); Wood, enamel, copper leaf, coins, brass, gold leaf; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Museum purchase from Decorative Arts Association Acquisition Fund, 1993-9-1-a,b; Photo © Smithsonian Institution

Three tall, glazed vessels with dramatic plum-like handles painted in beige, dark green, brown abstract shapes. — Trio of Toy Soldiers, 1989; Designed by Betty Woodman (American, 1930-2018); Glazed earthenware; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Museum purchase from James Ford Fund, 1990-97-1; Photo © Smithsonian Institution

Black glazed ceramic vessel with tall sides curved inwards and subtle motif of abstract knife shapes in a row around the top. — Jar, 1960-65; Designed by Desideria Montoya Sanchez (American, 18891982); San Ildefonso Pueblo (Pohwhóge Owingeh), New Mexico, USA; Earthenware; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift by transfer from United States Information Agency, Office of Exhibitions Abroad via Renwick Gallery, 1982-38-4; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

Several rows of tiny, bright white squares printed on black paper create a thick, wavy border around a gray and white print of a lattice chair. — Print, The Chair, 1965; Designed by Ruth Asawa (American, 1926-2013); Printed at Tamarind Lithography Workshop (Los Angeles, California, USA); Lithograph on paper; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift of International Business Machines Corp., 1969-124-1; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

Tassel made of linen which is completely in white. — Tassel (Italy), 17th century; Unidentified Maker; Braided and knotted linen, wood core; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Bequest of Richard Cranch Greenleaf in memory of his mother, Adeline Emma Greenleaf, 1962-51-53; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

Long rectangular length of brown fabric printed with a repeating pattern of gold birds and bordered on all edges except the top edge with colorful ceramic beads. — Tunic, 1925; Designed by Maria Monaci Gallenga (Italian, 1880-1944); Printed silk, ceramic beads; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift of Mrs. Cole Younger, 1959-109-4; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

Dark blue and white textile with a highly intricate repeating pattern of minuscule dots, leaves, fantastical creatures, and other designs. — Textile (Nigeria), circa 1950; Unidentified Maker (Yoruba); Stencil-applied cassava paste resist on plain weave cotton, indigo-dyed; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Museum purchase from Au Panier Fleuri Fund, 1959-36-1; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

A cream-beige square silk sampler with a nude figure surrounded by pink flowers reclining in a hammock supported by pine-like trees in the center formed from glass beads woven with satin, black text is sewn beneath — Sampler, 1836; Embroidered by Dolores Espoña (Mexican, dates unknown); Silk thread, glass beads, silk satin foundation; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Bequest of Mrs. Henry E. Coe, 1941-69-195; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

A pair of cream linen and cotton undersleeves with a design of repeating diamonds some appearing embossed others formed from cut-out circles along a puffed portion that tapers into a smaller cuff with a cutout design and a row of flowers along the edge — Undersleeve (USA), circa 1860; Unidentified Maker; Cutwork embroidery in cotton on linen; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift of Robert B. Noyes, 1940-81-37-a,b; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

Small, rounded rectangular beige case with a multi-colored floral pattern on the front and blue tent-stitching around the edges, a loop of brown suede-like string extends from the top held together with a pink bead — Eyeglass Case (China), 19th century; Unidentified Maker; Embroidered in tent stich with silk, metallic thread and glass beads; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift of Marian Hague, 1939-37-17; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

ABOUT DURO OLOWU

Duro Olowu. Photo by Uzoamaka Maduka.

Olowu (born 1965, Lagos, Nigeria) lives and works in London and New York. The Nigerian-British designer is internationally renowned for his womenswear label launched in 2004 and shown twice a year at London Fashion Week. Olowu’s work is characterized by unique fabrics, evocative patterns, original juxtapositions, and impeccable construction. In 2005, he was awarded New Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards and pieces of his work are featured in various institutional collections. Olowu has also curated critically acclaimed contemporary art exhibitions, including Making and Unmaking in 2016 at Camden Arts Centre in London and Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in 2020.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This exhibition was guest curated by Duro Olowu and organized for Cooper Hewitt by Curator of Contemporary Design and Hintz Secretarial Scholar Alexandra Cunningham Cameron with curatorial fellow Amanda Forment Hirsch and curatorial intern Claire Quong.

Exhibition design by Roger Diener of Diener & Diener Architekten and Architect of Record Garcia-Menocal Studio. Graphic design by Kelly Sung.

SUPPORT

Duro Olowu Selects: Works from the Permanent Collection is made possible by the Marks Family Foundation Endowment Fund. Additional support is provided by the Cooper Hewitt Master’s Program Fund.