Portrait: Mika Kailes
Education
MA
Culture, Criticism, Curation
Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London
(Grade: Distinction)
MA
Fashion and Design Studies (Theory)
Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture
(Grade: Distinction)
BA
Fashion and Design Studies (Practice & Theory)
Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture
Education
MA
Culture, Criticism, Curation
Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London
(Grade: Distinction)
MA
Fashion and Design Studies (Theory)
Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture
(Grade: Distinction)
BA
Fashion and Design Studies (Practice & Theory)
Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture
About
Nimco Kulmiye Hussein is a Finnish-born curator and writer based in London, working across contemporary art, cultural history, and cultural leadership. Their practice integrates curatorial research, creative strategy, and public engagement, with a strong commitment to accessibility, participation, and inclusive cultural practice. Through exhibitions, public programmes, and critical writing, they examine how cultural narratives are produced, contested, and rearticulated within institutional and public contexts.
They have curated extensively across international contexts, collaborating with artists, thinkers, and cultural institutions to deliver research-led, interdisciplinary exhibitions, commissions, and public programmes. Their work is grounded in strategic cultural thinking, focusing on organisational vision, long-term impact, and sustainable artistic development.
Alongside curatorial practice, their writing engages with the social, historical, and political dimensions of contemporary art, operating in dialogue with curatorial work to broaden access to critical discourse and cultural knowledge.
Until November 2025, Hussein served as Artistic Director of 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning, where they led the organisation’s artistic vision, creative strategy, commissioning, partnerships, and learning programmes. Working closely with artists, communities, and stakeholders, they positioned the organisation as a site of rigorous, socially engaged, and research-driven practice.
They are currently pursuing a PhD in Art History, Cultural Heritage, and Cultural History, further strengthening a research-led approach to curating and cultural strategy, with interests in cultural memory, architecture, representation, and knowledge circulation.
Hussein’s wider professional experience includes advisory roles with the New Museum of Architecture & Design in Helsinki and jury positions for international festivals. They hold an MA in Culture, Criticism, and Curation with Distinction from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, and an MA in Fashion and Design Studies with Distinction from Aalto University.