'My practice is informed by the politics of aesthetics, and more significantly how the colonial history in Zimbabwe continues to manipulate aesthetic values. My work as a ceramic sculptor looks at reimagining the everyday and examining the subtle treason of objects.' Xanthe Somers.
The large-scale, intricate ceramic works of Xanthe Somers, are informed by the politics of aesthetics and in particular how her country’s colonial history continues to manipulate aesthetic values. Her latest body of work reveals large sculptures of various shapes, sizes and materials. She combines age-old Zimbabwean traditions and materials into her hand-built ceramic sculptures such as weaving, wax fabric, granite stone in combination with new materials and social commentary, as a way of reflecting on the fraught relationship between the past and present. Through a sense of play, bright colours, mocking tone and exaggerated shapes, the artist tries to challenge the prevailing ideas associated with normalcy, beauty and refinement.
Somer's presentations include Collect Art Fair, London, UK, Untitled Art Fair, Miami, USA, Collectilble Fair Brussels, Belgium and gallery presentations such as Galerie Revel in France, First Floor Gallery in Zimbabwe, Loop Gallery in South Africa, Wort und Wirkung in Switzerland, and in Italy with Fusion Art Gallery.