XXXora : The iconic ride in the age of decline

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Hot on the heels of her debut solo exhibition, The Newer Gender, XXXora presents The iconic ride in the age of decline at East London's Brick Lane Gallery from 8-13 August. In The Newer Gender, which was recommended by TimeOut, Diva and Guernica, XXXora explored the relationship between gender and power, themes which continue to inform her work. Described by TimeOut as "fascinating", "deeply charismatic and utterly distinctive", XXXora's personal history of breeding horses plays a huge part in this exhibition. The centrepiece of The iconic ride in the age of decline is The Eton Razor - a horse's skull with sapphires for eyes, its neck fashioned from the world's most expensive razor. The platinum blades with their ruby-encrusted handle utilise a million pounds' worth of precious stones, separating the head - named after the horse lent between David Cameron and Rebekah Brooks - from its wider surroundings. Upstairs, there are five substantial canvasses - - that depict noted Olympic horses. High Kingdom shows Zara Phillips as a lioness, riding a unicorn made of champagne bottles, representing the class privilege vital to most equestrian events. Olympic Stroller focuses on a tiny pony that won a silver medal in Mexico City in 1968 against horses twice its size, asking if such an astonishing against-the-odds victory can still be possible in 2012 amidst the ongoing rise of corporate capitalism.