Makaya ya mina (My homes)
Photography
Edition 1 of 5
42,5 cm x 52,5 cm
Artist’s Statement
The series Makaya Ya Mina captures images taken both inside and outside my grandparents’ homes. As I spent hours waiting and observing, fishing for moments of movement and foot traffic, I found myself drawn into memories of playing in these spaces as a child. The process of making these photographs became a way of revisiting the emotional weight of these homes. I see women, in particular, as central to creating the feeling of home within these spaces. Their presence, even in absence, marks where home was and still is for many of us, especially the grandchildren.
Inspired by David Goldblatt’s documentary approach to South African life under Apartheid, my work shifts focus to the post-Apartheid homes my family has inhabited. However, instead of using Goldblatt’s muted black-and-white palette, I draw from the vibrant visual style of Tatenda Chidora. Colour, in this series, plays a crucial role: it disrupts the usual sombre portrayals of post-Apartheid homes and instead brings warmth, energy, and a sense of survival into view.
I intentionally edit the photographs with heightened, sometimes exaggerated, colours to enhance the vibrancy of each space. I manipulate highlights, blacks, and whites to dramatise the mood, while still maintaining enough exposure to preserve detail. A brightened yellow appears throughout the series, creating a visual thread of commonality: a warm pulse that ties these images together and reflects the spirit of the people who continue to make these houses into homes.