October Gallery at 1-54 London | Booth W1
Somerset House
Strand, London
16 – 19 October, 2025
VIP Day 16 October, 2025
Strand, London
16 – 19 October, 2025
VIP Day 16 October, 2025
Glazed stoneware, 60 x 55 x 55 cm.
Found objects 57 x 58 x 15 cm.
Highlights include vibrant new sculptures by LR Vandy that explore the complex entanglements of trade, power and gender. In her latest work, Vandy arranges multiple obsolete carpet shuttles into a web-like structure, adorned with netting needles and frayed fabric. These elements reference the industriousness of women – as a celebration of ‘women’s work’, honouring the legacy of Black women as foundational figures in community-building and as the often-overlooked backbone of society. Rendered in shades of indigo and gold, the work draws on the intertwined histories of colonialism and the brutal extraction of resources by enslaved labourers. Vandy will also present new additions to her signature Hull series. The vessel-like works encourage both joy and curiosity, while prompting a reckoning with our colonial past.
Other sculptural works are represented by remarkable large-scale ‘portraits‘ of the African diaspora by Alexis Peskine. Rendered, in precise detail, by hammering nails of different gauges, with pinpoint accuracy into wood, his works multi-layer complex materials. In his latest works, Peskine delves into the rich, healing powers inherent in ancestral African spirituality; exploring deeper aspects of interiorised abundance and well-being. Traces of the natural world can be sensed in the leafy shapes stained with spiritually significant herbs, including rosemary, basil, mint and macassar. The work Alande, 2024, is a powerful reflection on the spiritual significance of twins in the Yoruba tradition - symbols of blessing and protection. The layered interplay of colours and textures creates a rich visual narrative that resonates with the echoes of historical exploitation.
New ceramic works by Xanthe Somers are shaped by her engagement with post-colonial narratives and the cultural context of Zimbabwe, her country of birth. Each piece is intricately hand-coiled using traditional techniques, then deliberately disrupted - its surfaces punctured, woven through, or adorned with finely painted details. Her work Common Threads continues an ongoing dialogue with the basket-weaving traditions of the Binga region in Zimbabwe, reflecting on the environmental devastation and forced displacement caused by colonial legacies. Through a conscious use of excessive ornamentation layered with subtle political commentary, Somers critiques the exploitation of women’s labour, the undervaluing of craft, and the far-reaching effects of eco-racist practices across the Global South.
South African artist Zana Masombuka presents powerful new works which focus on the important meditative process of Ndebele beading. Combining the mediums of photography and sculpture, she creates arresting photographs surrounded by an intricate beaded frame. In this new series, Akhulumile Amabhudango: Scenes from Dreams – ‘Journeys with Kosabo’, Masombuka pays homage to her late grandfather as she journeys with him in her dreams, exploring themes of kingship, ascension and ancestral guidance. The beaded form and pattern of each work draws from culturally significant objects within her community, such as ‘iiRholwane zabo Baba’ (neck rings worn by Ndebele patriarchs) and ‘is‘Khumba seNgwe’ (Leopard skin). These are thoughtfully juxtaposed with elements from her grandfather’s life - his pastor’s cloak and the leopard skin hats worn by the matriarchs of his church. Masombuka’s work reflects on the constructs of ‘time’ and ‘frame’, forging a dialogue between past, present and the ‘self’.
Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga presents bold paintings from his Nature Morte series. The artist’s attention has moved beyond the histories of Belgian colonial control to the contemporary situation where the neo-colonial powers have once again asserted control over the lives of ordinary Congolese people. The large-scale figurative composition, Ces êtres à part (Those Other People), 2024, depicts two anxious female figures and their concern for a young teenage boy, who undoubtedly will become a miner. Toy trains strewn on the carpet references the hidden health tax levied on the poor local mining community. A closer glance reveals that the toy trains are made from medicine boxes, including cough and ulcer medicines. The work comments on the harmful impacts of industrial mining processes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The consequences on food production and human health have been well-documented, particularly in Katanga in the Central part of the DRC, to where Kamuanga’s father and mother both trace their origins.
Also exhibited are a selection of Romuald Hazoumè’s distinctive masques bidons (repurposed masks), created from plastic petrol canisters, including Avatar, 2022, a striking work in vivid green, with red and black feathers. Much of the enigmatic appeal of these masks is their ability both to conceal and yet reveal the hidden identity of their subjects. Hazoumè is careful to insist that the ‘masks’ he creates, ‘in no way resemble those originally powerful African masks used for ceremonial purposes. Whereas such artefacts exist as mysterious power objects, each of my masks portrays a real-life individual or even a distinct personality type.’
