Xanthe Somers & Yacout Hamdouch: Poetic Threads

Exhibition

Xanthe Somers & Yacout Hamdouch: Poetic Threads is on view at October Gallery, London July 2 – August 15, 2026. October Gallery presents a Contemporary African Art exhibition pairing new works by Zimbabwean ceramicist Xanthe Somers with paintings by Moroccan artist Yacout Hamdouch. A Spotlight on photographic works by James Barnor complements the exhibition.

Xanthe Somers

Somers introduces a new series, Carer, Cleaner, Mother, Maker, exploring themes of women's work, exploitation of cheap labour, and eco-racist practices in the Global South. Her practice is situated within the political and historical context of an area in Zimbabwe affected by the colonial construction of the dam that created Lake Kariba. Somers weaves together three age-old disciplines – clay pottery, basket-making and textiles – to create a novel visual language. Her hand-coiled forms are disrupted by puncturing and deforming, then revitalized through meticulously painted details.

Yacout Hamdouch

Hamdouch presents works from two recent series, Poetic Landscapes and Fertile Rainbows. Poetic Landscapes reflect on memory's ability to capture moments suspended in time. Fertile Rainbows considers the complexity of human emotions through line, layer, form and colour. She deploys exquisite layering techniques using gradually shifting colours and tones. Her palette is informed by contemporary interpretation of colours associated with the African continent.

James Barnor Spotlight

A Spotlight exhibition on James Barnor's photography pays homage to his career spanning more than seven decades as studio portraitist, photojournalist and Black lifestyle photographer. His photographs of newly Independent Ghana and swinging Sixties London are recognized as unparalleled historical documentation.

Contact

• [email protected]
• October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AL, United Kingdom