A series of six installation pieces all of which combine the mundane object ofthetoilet with fine art and traditional silkscreens, intricate ceramic processes, and satire to comment on the interaction between the personal and the political and the threat of authoritarianism. The result of four years of ongoing research, experimentation and collaboration, the toilets are simultaneously expertly crafted, aesthetically finessed, and functional. The series will be released individually, with each piece focusing on a different region of the world and all featuring a startling mix of visual beauty and provocative, thought-provoking statements.

The America installation, DUMP ON TRUMP, explores the ideal of freedom and the threat of authoritarianism. Classical images of Capitol Hill, Constitutional Court, Mount Vernon, the Liberty Bell, and the Statue of Liberty symbolise the ideals of equality alongside leaders such as George Washington, who was known as Father of his Country, and Barack Obama. 

The idea of politics as a form of performance is evoked by references to 19th-century toy theatres for children and contrasted with the manipulation of TV culture and violent symbols such as target practice discs. The names of the 43 senators who voted against Donald Trump’s second impeachment run around the interior.

One of the most striking aspects of this installation is the cobalt blue, which is based on the colour of historic Chinese exports to America. Gers experimented with more than 30 variations of this notoriously challenging shade for on-glaze before finding the ideal pigment in the UK’s Stoke-on-Trent in 2023.

The first DUMP ON DICTATORS toilet in Mervyn Gers’s series—featuring themes from India, Russia, China, Turkey, and more—depicts Donald Trump and will be auctioned online by Stephan Welz & Co. on Wednesday, 18 June 2025.