Matsi Wa Lesego

Castle In The Air

Castle In The Air, engages with the multifaceted psychological and emotional effects of divorce imprinted on children. It’s always one’s hope and expectation to grow up in a safe and healthy environment but realistically, familial bonds and structures are constantly fluctuating in accordance with various external circumstances. Growing up, I was subjected to a lot of the implications of my parents’ tumultuous marriage and “divorce” which in some respects required me to mature quickly. 

In my work, I position myself through my inner child documenting and creating moments that don’t exist using old childhood images by digitally collaging them to create a cohesive and final image. The act of creating these images generates a wave of nostalgia for moments that were never present, which also engages with the parameters of fantasy and idealism (the wishful thinking of what life could have been/should have been). I grew up watching how other families operated, whether it be on television or in real life, therefore my engagement with this theme converses with the ‘cruel optimism’ of my parents saving me as a child from all the brutality that I was exposed to at a young age. 

The drawings refer to the innocence of childhood that can be distorted and the incorporated text provides a description of what certain moments and events would have been like, acting as letters connecting my inner child to my present young adulthood. The publication is an intimate form of communication because of the active participation it requires.