October Gallery Pairs Xanthe Somers and Yacout Hamdouch in New Exhibition

October Gallery in London is presenting a new exhibition that brings together ceramic works by Zimbabwean artist Xanthe Somers and paintings by Moroccan artist Yacout Hamdouch, marking Hamdouch's debut at the gallery. The show continues the gallery's season of Contemporary African Art. In a second gallery space, a Spotlight exhibition features photographs by James Barnor, complementing the main display. Somers's new series, titled 'Carer, Cleaner, Mother, Maker,' explores themes of women's labor, exploitation of cheap labor, and eco-racist practices in the Global South. Her work is informed by postcolonial insights and is situated in the political and historical context of Zimbabwe, specifically the area affected by the construction of the Kariba Dam, which created Lake Kariba, the world's largest artificial lake. Somers combines traditional disciplines such as clay pottery and basket weaving, though the full scope of her practice is not detailed in the source. The exhibition is part of October Gallery's ongoing programming, which has been dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora.