Xanthe Somers

Xanthe Somers (b. 1992) was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Michaelis School of Fine Art, UCT in Cape Town in 2015, majoring in Printmaking.
She went on to study Postcolonial Culture and Global Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London; in 2020, Xanthe earned her Master of Arts degree with distinction. Xanthe defines herself as a contemporary ceramic sculptor, and her London-based practice has, to date, gravitated towards large-scale sculptural forms. Through her work, she playfully investigates our understanding of domestic objects by reinterpreting them as vivid sculptural works; the hope is to reimagine the everyday while also challenging prevailing ideas of the “normal,” and the ways in which Zimbabwe’s colonial history influences aesthetics. The bright colors, exaggerated shapes, and oversized pieces both parody and revel in the circus that is our day-to-day.