Wherever I lay my head

The notion of ‘home’ is often conceptualized as specific building or shelter. This project, however explores ‘home’ as a space with a specific identity that also signifies a way of life chosen by the inhabitants from limited options. In times people from rural areas, especially from some other countries, provinces are forced by circumstances to leave their homes, families and friends where they dwelled because of financial unstability. They had to find a cheap or affordable place to stay for so long, which can possibly be for years. Building your own shelter (mkhukhu also known as shack) can be cheaper or really free and it protects them from the weather – if not too strong.

In most townships there is always a small section of mkhukhu’s (shacks) on the edges of informal settlement sites; an area set apart from the actual comfortably looking township houses. These are called Mahalang (Sesotho word meaning ‘a place for free things’) and are without electricity, they fetch water from other sections and they use candles to light inside at night. They stay there for many years before government recognizes them and even if they have been voting for all these years. Eventually after many years they are removed to a better RDP house in the township with electricity and water already installed but they have to pay for it, women decided on bringing their whole families from rural areas to where they live because they barely come back home at most times during the years.

This body of work engages with the space occupied by children and young adults who have chosen to live this treacherous life above having to adhere to rules and restrictions imposed by shelters and childrens homes. The street is shown as a place where the children are free to be themselves, where they feel at home, although they have to pay a costly price for this freedom.