Wheel thrown porcelain mei ping (vase), cobalt underglaze, reduction fired to cone 10 with Frazier celadon glaze.

Food is a ubiquitous feature in all cultures around the world. Beyond any specific dish or cuisine, the behaviors and attitudes surrounding food can be a unique expression of culture. In many APIMEDA communities, preparing food for others is widely understood to be an act of love. Similarly, people from these communities will often greet each other by asking if they’ve eaten yet in lieu of more straightforward greetings like ‘how are you doing?’. All of which serves to frame food and the sustenance of loved ones as something of high cultural significance. “Have You Eaten Yet?” depicts the mundane but culturally significant act of preparing a meal using traditional forms and aesthetics typical to Ming dynasty pottery. By capturing an unremarkable act, such as cooking, in a style that mimics pottery stereotypically perceived as precious artifacts of cultural heritage, this piece elevates an everyday task as an act of cultural practice worthy of documenting and preserving.