Xanthe Somers

Xanthe Somers (b. 1992 ZW) was born and went to school in Harare, Zimbabwe. She graduated from Michealis School of Fine Art, UCT in Cape Town in 2015- she went on to be awarded a grant to study a MA Postcolonial Culture and Global Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London which she completed in 2020 with distinction.

Xanthe Somers's practice is informed by the politics of aesthetics, and more significantly how the colonial history in Zimbabwe continues to manipulate aesthetic values. Her work as a ceramic sculptor looks at reimagining everyday life and examining the subtle treason of objects. 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 which have been manipulated by the Christian-Colonial gaze fixed strongly on southern Africa.

Somers' work is held in many private collections as well as public collections such as The Victoria and Albert Museum in London.