We are proud to present ‘Smoke and Mirrors’, a solo show of ceramics by British-South African artist Katy Stubbs (b.1992). The exhibition, which is organised in collaboration with PATERSON ZEVI, is the culmination of a year’s work and is Stubbs’ second solo show. It debuts a series of ceramic sculptures concerning ideas around deception and magic; a subject of fascination for the artist, a magic enthusiast who travels to conventions, practices conjuring tricks and collects magical ephemera, which are on display at her studio in Brixton, London.
A self-taught ceramicist, Stubbs has created a group of sculptures, each piece built by hand. The story of ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ is a cautionary tale about the deceptions of contemporary dating culture, societal pressure to conform to an ideal and the too-good-to-be-true stories on Instagram. Ancient morality mingles with modern disinformation in funny and frightening ways.
Different ceramics tell different parts of the ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ story. Each character has their own pot, including a tragic protagonist: the lobster that the woman orders, thinking it will look great on her Instagram. The exhibition also includes the pile of dirty plates from which the couple ate off, descriptive amphoras and everyday items belonging to the characters, such as the magician’s playing cards and a smashed iPhone.
