Xanthe Somers
This Zimbabwean artist (right) draws inspiration from the customs of her homeland. Her hand-built ceramic sculptures, often functional in the form of lighting and vases (collection ‘In Bad Taste’, pictured), incorporate a range of materials and techniques, and continually challenge the political aspects of design and how it has been manipulated by colonialism in Zimbabwe. ‘I like to draw attention to Western overconsumption, cheap labour and the impact of eco-racist practices on the global south,’ she says. ‘I look at this in relation to patterns surrounding child- minding, caring, mending, fixing, stitching, cleaning, cultivating and crafting. My recent work looks to reimagine the everyday and examine the subtle treason of objects.’ Thanks to her vivacious use of colour, exaggerated silhouettes and thought-provoking narratives, the sculptor has had work displayed in London’s V&A Museum and at Somerset House’s
