James Brendan Udom
Architect
Arch. James Brendan Udom (JBU), born in Oguta, Nigeria, has been based in Florence, Italy, since 1978.
After earning his Master’s Degree in Architecture from Università degli Studi di Firenze, in 1991, he established his practice in Florence, excelling in both architecture and interior design.
His drive to operate on a more international scale led him to explore opportunities within the African landscape. In particular, his work in Nigeria spans residential, corporate, hospitality, commercial, and mixed-use administrative projects, extending into product design.
James is also deeply engaged in Nigeria’s design community, notably serving on the Advisory Board of Design Week Lagos.
The story of the OkkyO lamp began as a casual invite by the founder of Design Week Lagos, Titi Ogufere, to "design something, perhaps a lamp" for the upcoming Design Innovation Exhibition, titled "Building a Made in Nigeria Brand" scheduled in Lagos from February 28th to March 2nd 2025.
This unique table lamp draws inspiration from the traditional African bellows, used by the Songye tribe of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its form, rooted in the structure of traditional bellows, transforms into a skeletal African mask, where the air chambers become eyes that emit light.
The name OkkyO, derives from the Italian word for eye, where the two capital Os symbolize the two eyes of the lamp.
The design takes the form of a skeletal African mask, blending cultural heritage with modern aesthetics. This approach reflects a sort of "global contamination," where African design seamlessly integrates indigenous aesthetics with contemporary materials, cutting-edge technologies, and cross-cultural design philosophies. The structured frame mimics the carved wooden masks often seen in African art, creating a striking interplay of lights and shadows. By fusing functionality with symbolism, OkkyO, not only illuminates spaces or sits as an interior ornament, but also tells a story of craftsmanship, tradition, artistic expression and global contamination. From Afro-futurist design narratives to minimalist einterpretations of tribal forms, African design is shaping a bold new language that speaks to both local identity and global modernity. OkkyO merges ancestral symbolism with a sculptural, avant-garde aesthetic, proving that African design is as much about storytelling as it is about function.
