HOME – ikhaya, 2025
Gold leaf, corrugated metal sheet, wood
HOME – ikhaya reflects on the precarious reality of millions who inhabit informal settlements— structures born of necessity, crafted from whatever materials can be found. These makeshift architectures speak to an existence shaped by impermanence and systemic socio-economic disparities.
This work seeks to confront that reality while acknowledging the profound beauty, resilience, and dignity embedded within it. The use of gold leaf evokes Johannesburg’s origins as a city founded on wealth extracted from the earth, contrasting sharply with the enduring poverty surrounding it. In doing so, the sculpture becomes a dialogue between abundance and deprivation, permanence and transience.
The title itself underscores a deeper inquiry: the distinction between a house—a physical shelter —and a home, an intimate, often fragile, construct of belonging and connection. Through HOME – ikhaya, Diego invites viewers to reflect on what constitutes home, to reconsider our interdependence as human beings, and to reimagine community as a shared space with one another and with nature.
To give you a glimpse into the project, here are two short videos documenting the installation:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DPA4TkxjBuG/?img_index=14&igsh=Y3E3aGhkaXN0NW5w; https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO35E_pjNoh/?igsh=bG5oYnVlZmI3M2xh