Clementine Keith-Roach Creates Anthropomorphic Vases

Whilst living in Athens, artist Clementine Keith-Roach encountered a unique number of anthropomorphic vases—these inspired her to work with clay and casting, creating urns that explore the female form.

Urns, with curves that seem to declare them feminine, are rendered dually so in the work of Keith-Roach. These works are created using a unique combination of methods; Keith-Roach moulding her own breasts and those of women close to her, and then transferring the plaster cast busts onto clay vessels. Each of the strangely anthropomorphic vases is a unique study of the female body and experience; merging subject and object in a way that feels personal and political. Despite gradual movement towards equality, in the 21st century, a woman’s body is still not her own. Rarely would one see a woman’s breasts illustrated with such physicality, the trompe l’oeil effects employed by Keith-Roach have rendered breasts visible on platforms like Instagram, where real female nipples would usually find themselves banned for simply existing.

All images © Clementine Keith-Roach