Young Zimbabwean ceramic sculptor Xanthe Somers wins Latitudes ANNA Award for visual art

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

The legacy of colonialism in Zimbabwe on art practice is again under an elevated spotlight following the declaration of ceramicist Harare born artist Xanthe Somers as this year’s winner of the ANNA award by Latitudes Art fair.

This award inevitably elevates her art practice, which is predicated on the legacies of colonialism in contemporary Zimbabwe’s art practice. Latitudes this week announced Somers as the winner of the main prize, worth R100 000, making it the richest  Pan African art prize that focuses exclusively on recognising  emerging visual voices on the continent, whose narratives capture the current state of contemporary Africa.

“I am deeply honoured to be selected as this year’s ANNA Award winner, especially among such a remarkable group of finalists. I want to extend my deepest gratitude for this recognition and the opportunities it brings. This award will undoubtedly enhance my artistic career, offering new avenues for creative exploration and growth. It is vital to spotlight and elevate the voices of female African artists on the global stage, as our unique perspectives and stories contribute richly to the world’s cultural tapestry,” the artist reflected.

Somers 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.

Xanthe recently completed the GUILD artist residency, for two months with Southern Guild in Cape Town, South Africa, March-May 2024.