Building My Home

Materials: Maple, gold leaf
Dimensions: 57,5 x 18 x 14 cm
Techniques: Slow whittling, gilding,

Building My Home is a sculpture of a large hand, carefully holding a small house between its thumb and index finger. The house is covered in gold leaf.

The work is about creating a home when a sense of safety and belonging was not something you grew up with. Building that home for yourself takes courage, strength and determination. The large, strong arm represents that strength, while the arm built from individual blocks of wood reflects the act of building and creating a home piece by piece.

The house is small and covered in gold because a home is precious, but also vulnerable. It needs to be protected and nurtured.

The sculpture is made from maple blocks, assembled from offcuts generously given to me by a double bass maker. These separate pieces are brought together to create something new, just as we build a home from the pieces of our lives.

Photos: Paul Driessen