This week, it’s the Stephanie show! Stephanie Kuo talks to artist Stephanie H. Shih about her collection of Asian pantry items. She hand-makes everything from ceramic Chinkiang black vinegar bottles and Yakult containers to Morinaga caramel boxes and packets of instant Indomie. Through her work, Stephanie hopes to free Asian imagery from the Western gaze, which rests on clichés (ahem, the Chinese takeout box). Stephanie and Stephanie talk about childhood memories, making art that’s “for us by us,” and connecting to the Asian diaspora through the mundane and private items in their pantries.
Produced by Stephanie Kuo and Juan Ramirez. Music by Brad Turner and Blue Dot Sessions.
LINKS DU JOUR
Stephanie H. Shih's Food Ceramics Nourish Asian-American Memory by Emma Specter (Vice)
What’s so Political About Food Photography? (Racist Sandwich)