Raimond De Weerdt
25 Fibro Houses | 2025 | Photograph printed on Canson Infinity Edition Etching Rag 310gsm paper, ed. 1/5 | 60 x 90cm
Sunshine Coast National Art Prize 2025 - Finalist
Image courtesy of the artist
Artist Statement
This composite photograph of 25 fibro houses explores the Australian dream of home ownership through a dreamlike, almost surreal lens. By layering these nearly identical structures, the work reflects on the housing crisis while drawing parallels to the post-war era, when fibro (fibrocement) homes provided an affordable, mass-produced solution to a severe shortage.
In the 1950s, these simple, efficient houses offered stability for working-class families. Today, as affordability reaches crisis levels, this work reimagines the fibro house as a symbol of both past resilience and present urgency. The repetition creates a hypnotic quality, blurring the line between aspiration and reality—questioning why sustainable, low-cost housing remains scarce in policy discussions. Through this visual study, I examine themes of necessity, cyclical struggle, and the fading promise of home ownership. By revisiting a once-effective solution, the photograph invites reflection on how history might inspire future action—and whether the dream of a home is still within reach.