SHANA JAMES - Circe Feeding the Pigs

Circe Feeding the Pigs 

2025 Drawing Graphite on Somerset 100% Cotton Paper 

In this work, Circe is shown feeding the pigs on her island, referencing a pivotal moment in Madeline Miller’s novel Circe. When Odysseus’s men land on her shores, Circe transforms them into pigs —an act of self-preservation, shaped by her past encounters with violent and threatening sailors. In Miller’s retelling, when Circe eventually returns them to their human form, the men emerge stronger and more beautiful, transformed both physically and metaphorically.

Etched into the wall in front of Circe are the words, “The truth is, men make terrible pigs,” a direct quotation from Miller’s novel. This inscription brings a touch of irony to the scene, hinting at the tension between power and vulnerability, punishment and renewal.

There is a sense of quiet domesticity in the work, with Circe peacefully going about her daily life on the island. The vessels leaning against the wall are quotations of Ebony Russell’s ceramic forms, a nod to the rich history of ceramics in the ancient Greek world and to the collaborative dialogue between artists in this exhibition.