Stories and dreams from Ethiopian origins form the basis of Elshaday Berhane's intriguing ceramics, which, she insists, should be enjoyed on an emotional level. Shown in the exhibition Golly, curated by Michael Forbes, Berhane turned the negative term Golly on its head to create positive images, Berhane's silver stoneware ceramics suggesting the female form dancing and enjoying life. By contrast, the large black figures painted on the walls evoke sinister shadows that dominate these medium-sized silver ceramic figures. Circles of energetic morphed ceramics, with their complex figurative shapes, successfully capture a sense of motion as the comic-like features suggest dualism and change. Their menacing presence denotes a frenzy of symbols and meanings. For Berhane, it is a recognition of the aesthetic of her Ethiopian roots and culture. Within the work there is a spiritual presence. The bellies of the figures, with their multiple arms and empty hands stretching out into the environment, evoke the Hindu god Shiva waiting to receive gifts. The carefully moulded dolls' hands grasping or letting go, like a child at play, project both innocence and a mischievous need to be held.
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