These photographs were exhibited as part of the IVX Florence Biennale October 14 - 22nd 2023, with the theme; I am you, Individual and collective Identities in Contemporary Art and Design. 

Through meticulous composition and lighting, I construct images that celebrate the beauty and complexity of culinary heritage. Each still life photograph is an intimate exploration of colours, textures, and the absurd, prompting viewers to reflect on the intertwined relationship between identity, culture, technology, and cuisine. 

I once heard that if you want to stage your own disappearance you need to add to the ‘noise’ (meaningless data). For me as a photographer, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has staged the disappearance of photography, and the way in which photographs can now be viewed. In the hyper realities of AI generated imagery, adding ‘noise’ can be in the form of imperfections and the absurd that attune us to how we might see and respond to a ‘noisy’ life layered with multiple distractions.

The photographs created here are an attempt to add to this worldly noise of image-making by mirroring and imitating the way in which AI creates an image via the use of word prompts. These images reference my upbringing and cultural food identity. This identity is a vibrant mix of colours and flavours and a deep respect for growers, producers, community meals and conversation.

To produce the images shown here, I have used objects that are out of place. To mimic AI generation, I have intentionally curated very flat, two-dimensional tableaus that do not allow space for the viewer to place themselves within the visual frame, revealing next to nothing of the context in which they were created.