Githan Coopoo with his signature satire
Githan Coopoo is acclaimed for his clay-based handbags and vases adorned with brash colours and relatable witticisms – his oeuvre an irreverent collection of sculptures that he calls “false ceramics”.
His style and sensibility translate splendidly to screen print, with the medium’s capacity for vivid colour, as well its history of accessibility, providing a happy vessel for Coopoo’s particular brand of communication. It was a pleasure having him in the studio, and the result of our collaboration is our latest release: Pot of Greed.
Referencing imagery from his childhood, including a trading card game and the idiosyncratic colour palette of corner shop signage, Pot of Greed is a picture of Coopoo at his best. Irreverent, simultaneously loud and charming, and brandishing references familiar within his communities, this original print with its satirical catchphrase strives to “diminish the conversational chasm between myself and my audience”, encouraging relatability, communication and collaboration with his viewers.
Pot of Greed by Githan Coopoo
Githan Coopoo (b. 1994) is a self-taught jewellery designer and sculptor known for his clay-based work, his “false ceramics” a range of iconic forms like vases and handbags, fashioned from air-drying clay and plastered with loud colours and remarks both witty and angsty. With a love for mythology, ancient civilisations and cultural objects, Coopoo explores themes around materialism and materiality; ideas of opulence, fragility and queer identities; all the while deliberately disarming any kind of intellectual elitism. He explains: “Insinuating my sculptures into the accepted ceramic canon while enacting a falsehood is an innately queer act.” This disabling of elitism relies particularly on Coopoo’s use of sharp satire, sugar-coated sarcasm and self-deprecating humour, distilled into familiar phrases that resonate with his audience, creating conversations and inviting new, collaborative meanings with the viewer.
Coopoo has held several prominent solo shows and participated in group exhibitions in Germany and across South Africa, with an upcoming group show at the Smithsonian, Washington DC, set for 2025. His clay jewellery has been shown at preeminent fashion weeks across the globe; and he was selected for the British Fashion Council’s 2022 NEW WAVE: Creatives list.
