WORK • Wednesday Routine
XANTHE SOMERS • ceramicist
Neighbourhood you work in: South East London
Neighbourhood you live in: Peckham Rye
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I’m in my studio with my dog, Jenga, who’s currently trailing mud in after him from a damp winter’s walk in Brockwell Park. The studio is lovely and warm from the kiln firing overnight. I'm drinking a super cup of coffee and salmon bagel from Lulu’s in Herne Hill, a delightful deli run by the same team as the fantastic neighbourhood joint Llewelyn's.
I have just moved into a new railway arch turned ceramic studio, and everything is still finding its place. I have boxes to unpack but no shelves yet. Mugs, but no kettle. The space is much bigger than my previous studio, allowing me to work on bigger, more ambitious exhibitions, but settling in will take time. Luckily, my new studio is a stone's throw from my favourite pub, The Half Moon, where I'll head this evening to have a hump day pint.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Continuing work on a hand-built, large-scale ceramic sculpture. It’s a clay vessel that resembles a grass basket which stands as tall as me. I’m interested in exploring the metaphor of weaving, examining how it can be used as a device to speak about broader social cohesion or lack thereof. The slow process of weaving clay into shape will take me a week to build, a couple more weeks to dry, and then it has two firings in the kiln. Once complete, this vessel will be shipped off to France for an exhibition at Galerie Revel in Bordeaux.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Last week I went to a fabulous spot for dinner called The Parakeet in Kentish Town. Beautiful contemporary stained glass decor to marvel at. Delicious food. Great service. The rather fancy food is kept modest by the bustling bar and pub-like atmosphere. The braised leeks were particularly tasty.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I recently went to a live show of The News Agents. It is a political podcast that I listen to everyday in the studio. I work alone, so this helps me feel a bit more connected to what’s happening outside. It seemed a bit of a bizarre concept to have The Royal Albert Hall full to capacity to watch three journalists entertain a crowd with the current political landscape. It shows the interest out there in trying to understand and make sense of the world we are living in.
Any weekend getaways?
I went with my partner to a wedding close to Limoges in France. En route, we stopped by a tiny French village named Brantome. This picturesque town floats like an island, while the river Dronne surrounds it like a moat. There’s a magical looking restaurant, Le Moulin de l’Abbaye, that we didn’t eat at, but it’s on my list of places reserved for a very special occasion one day. Instead, we got on a bus which dropped us 10 km upstream, and we canoed slowly back down to beautiful Brantome with a bottle of rosé, some Comté, and a baguette.
What was your last great vacation?
Last year, four of us cycled from Porto to Lisbon in Portugal. It took us five days of big hills and hard work but the reward was the constant comfort of pasteis de natas, kind people, cheap beer, and long summer evenings spent on the beach. My highlight along the way was stopping at the medieval walled-town of Obidos. Its labyrinthine, cobbled streets are all full of delicious eateries and restaurants. We ate at Jamon Jamon. After lunch, we walked the full length of the castle wall around the town and got a view of the vineyards and Atlantic Ocean.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
Not that new anymore, but couldn’t live without my kiln called Freddie!