Casa Mouda – a New Creative Studio Producing, Promoting, and Supporting Contemporary Design - Launches in Lagos, Nigeria this Fall
Inaugural activation features icons of contemporary African design alongside figures from the diaspora producing on the continent, including Germane Barnes, Hajar Daide, Hall Haus, Nifemi Marcus-Bello, Jean Servais Somian, and Marie-Paule Tano - Opening Fall 2026
LAGOS, NIGERIA (September 9, 2026) —Casa Mouda, a new creative studio focused on producing, promoting, and exhibiting contemporary design in Nigeria, will launch this fall in Lagos with The Design Institute — an inaugural activation exploring the evolution and future of collectible design produced in West Africa.
Founded by art and design entrepreneur Caline Chagoury Moudaber and evolving out of Art Twenty One, the Lagos art space she founded in 2013, Casa Mouda engages audiences locally and internationally through design-led exhibitions, pop-ups, and experimental initiatives that bridge Lagosian and international communities — repositioning Africa at the center of the global design conversation.
The Design Institute will be presented across two newly renovated spaces: aiMe Gallery at Eko Hotel, redesigned in consultation with architect Papa Omotayo (MOE+AA), and aiMe Concept on Eko Atlantic, designed with Gemma Sfeir and Nifemi Marcus-Bello. The activation brings together a multigenerational constellation of designers whose practices fuse tradition with experimentation, craftsmanship with innovation — including Germane Barnes, Hajar Daide, Hall Haus, Nifemi Marcus-Bello, Jean Servais Somian, and Marie-Paule Tano. The installation is augmented with art and objects from African craftspeople and designers, including handwoven baskets and objects by Baba Tree and People of the Sun and paintings by Midegbeyanevesho Ojisua.
"For me, Casa Mouda is about bringing the warmth and intentionality of home into everything we do — creating experiences and spaces that feel alive with vision, taste, and purpose. Growing up across cultures and continents–between Lagos, LA, Lebanon, and Paris–the importance of storytelling through objects and experiences has always been a way of life," said Chagoury Moudaber. "The concept for Casa Mouda is inspired by many things: the tremendous artists and designers we work with; the feeling of exporting cultural production from West Africa to international venues and sensing something was being lost in that experience; and my parents, who, from a young age, instilled in me the belief that great design isn't just about objects, it's about the communities we build around them. Casa Mouda carries that spirit forward, fostering a sense of belonging, creativity, and exchange wherever we go and in everything we do.”
Conceived as immersive, multisensory environments, both spaces extend well beyond the exhibition — anchored by Kofi, Casa Mouda's café experience celebrating community and culture through speciality green coffee sourced from around the world and roasted in Beirut. A custom soundscape composed by musician and sound designer Malloy James fills aiMe Gallery through bespoke speakers co-designed with Casa Mouda, while aiMe Concept features a dedicated listening station — positioning sound as both material and metaphor for the project as a whole.
Full program details will be announced ahead of the fall opening.
About Casa Mouda
Casa Mouda is a Lagos-based creative studio producing, promoting, and supporting contemporary design. Founded by Caline Chagoury Moudaber, Casa Mouda fosters creative exchange and design innovation through exhibitions, commissions, retail, and cultural programming, with a core mission of removing barriers to the production, exhibition, and export of high-quality design produced in West Africa.
Media contact
Sara Griffin
+1-917-656-6348