Weaving stories and dreams into multidisciplinary mediums, Xanthe Stonehouse-Pope’s work offer’s us a child size lens into the theatre of adulthood, humourising and colourising our most intimate dreams and realities into make-believe worlds.
Papier-mâché and needlework sew her practice together. Mysticism, folklore and lived experiences catalyse into costumes, props, films, and sculptures, whilst her tapestries and drawings help therapize personal fears and tragedies.
Xanthe’s work meddles the boundary between imagination and reality, allowing the observer a threshold to cross into as they experience her work. Immersivity and protagonism centre narratives, ultimately encouraging us to become the main character within each cinematic expression.
Her goal is to ignite the child explorer within all of us, allowing us to become our own archaeologists on an excavation for paper artefacts and effigies… that 7-year-old excitement of unearthing a rusty hoop earring in your garden soil: feeling like you’d hit the jackpot !
xanthestonehousepope@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/xanthzstudio →
‘On the ranch, the day must kiss the night'. Inspired by indigenous Maya textile trades, and central American folklore, narratives and theologies. The act of carrying this piece of in the bottom of my bag, makes it resemble a relic.
An interactive assemblage piece, utilising sound, light, sculpture, puppets, second-hand materials, and interactive elements. People enter a scenic space where stands a walk-in confession box (2m x 1.25m x 1m) and an external bird effigy in a baptismal font.
The Young Fish Prince as seen in the Spike Island Open Studios 'Anti-Fashion' show, 2024.
Visual stimulus is initially inspired by ceremonial shamanism, as witnessed in Chichicastenango, Guatemala, where a burning of various entities unfurled; eggs, chillies, coloured sugar, tobacco, candles and incense. The synthetic choice of material allowed me to explore manipulating/burning into fabric.
This piece is a commentary on the suppressions and constraints placed onto women, taboos around body image, its toxicity in corresponding controlling behaviours, and archetypal standards of bodily hair and blood.
These two films are in collaboration with Lily Mae Strong as part of the ‘Folk Horror’ themed exhibition space. They were designed for halloween utilising collaged elements of paintings, sculptures and costumes blending two distinct artistic styles.
