The show, titled ‘Going Home’ under the theme of ‘Inhabiting the Wild’, was inspired by her grandmother’s home with visual elements that spoke to her childhood and upbringing between Rustenberg and Johannesburg. The collection deconstructed her already existing themes to speak on growth and manifestation in abstract and interesting ways. What truly inspires her work? “Everything inspires my work but mostly, my grandmother, my mother, generational curses, nature, African symbolism and ritualistic practices.”

As one of the youngest amongst the participating artists in the Tomorrows/Today prize, Diale even surprised herself when she was chosen as the recipient of South Africa’s most prestigious visual art accolade. The award marked a tangible tipping point in Diale’s career, though with newfound notoriety comes expectation. Diale has quickly had to navigate the landscape of the industry and those who attempt to push certain narratives on young artists. The award allowed her to move into her own studio where Diale became acutely aware of the gift that is the ability to separate her work from her personal space. For artists, having some semblance of a 9 to 5 is rare, for Diale it has been a game changer.