The Infidel series, a central body of work revisited in the Brussels show, is defined as a heretic anthology made of a group of creature-esque forms arranged together in procession. The sculptures, at once shocking and fragile, portray uncategorizable armless shapes with protruded beaks, barely balancing themselves on rolling curves or points. Borrowing from West African and Caribbean ceramic techniques of creating rolling vessels, Collings-James imagines Infidel as a container of national, political, or spiritual teachings. The decisive title of this series stems from the historical archetype of a revolutionary or disbeliever, reclaimed in celebration of the outsider. The issue of agency resurfaces through their display, lingering together or moving slowly with no apparent purpose – loitering as a form of resistance. Thus, At the end of the small hours is an engagement that calls for an awareness unbound by a fixed dimension, unfolding instead in relation to the world around us. It beckons us to dwell and to belong as active participants in the universal “nothingness and thingness.”1

The Infidels are the first forms encountered in the space, where Phoebe investigates the body as a site of existence and self-presentation. Rather than depicting the human figure directly, she embraces abstract, animalistic shapes that evoke presence without literal representation. Phoebe employs the graffito technique, delicately carving into the clay to unveil hidden layers beneath the surface. Through glazing, she skillfully balances visibility and concealment. Additionally, she uses a roulette tool—similar to a small rolling pin—to imprint words, poems, and symbols onto the clay. Tears emerge repeatedly as a poignant motif. Movement and spatial relationships are central to The Infidels series. The sculptures vary in height, creating a dynamic interplay; taller forms seem to offer support to those more fragile or vulnerable, suggesting a network of care and connection. Characterized by their distinctive mouths, shaped through Afro-diasporic techniques, these works are firmly rooted in their physical weight and grounded by Caribbean ceramic traditions such as low-fire and pit-firing. Phoebe draws on ancient knowledge, seeking to transform these heritage methods into contemporary artistic expressions. The Infidels embody voices of dissent—speaking out, standing apart, and resisting rigid traditions—mirroring Phoebe’s commitment to communal critique and collective empowerment.