In 2023, I spent 5 months in the Niassa Special Reserve in northern Mozambique. With a surface area the size of Switzerland, this natural area is shared by the Yao community and a magnificent flora and fauna. I lived alongside Norte, Matola, Cecilia, Roque, Josina, Agostinho and Raimondo. We set up camp (‘Kambi Ndembo’: elephant camp in XiYao) in the middle of the bush. We lived to the rhythm of the sun and moon, using the river water to wash and cook. At night we were sometimes visited by lions, elephants and buffalo, and during the day we had to be on our guard. As someone who was born into western comfort, this experience gave me an insight into another facet of the world with its own codes. We spent nights discussing our respective lives by the light of the fire. Sharing with others helps you to develop your thinking and to learn more about yourself, others and your environment. Living this part of my life has forced me to live in a firmly rooted reality, in the moment and the concrete. This sculpture represents that feeling and the inner dialogue it gave rise to as I sat around the fire talking to them. It's a position I had in reserve, with both feet firmly planted in the ground and close to the earth. The two heads in the shape of futuristic helmets, smoothed out, represent this dialogue and the disconnection in our relationship with the living, with the moment.

recycled steel, oxidised and burnt over a wood fire
60cm high, 60cm deep, 40cm wide