The ceramic work of Samantha Thole places mythological stories and ancient symbols in our present-day context. References to the body, social identity and power relations emerge in archetypal form. The artist enriches these archaic forms with contemporary layers of meaning. Universal themes such as the cycle of life, regeneration and metamorphosis also play an important role throughout Thole’s oeuvre. The alchemical transformation that is at the heart of the ceramic process makes it the perfect medium for her narratives, as fire transmutes the malleable clay into objects that can withstand the ravages of millennia.
