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Over the past few years, my work has revolved around creating a narrative made up of moon characters, who at first seem nonchalant, but after a deeper look, one notices many of the human vulnerabilities hidden throughout. These characters seem calm and composed, usually surrounded by musical instruments and a calming color palette at first. After a longer glance, one can start to tell by the look in their eyes and their awkward body language, there is far more suffering below the surface. Just as the typical human condition we all share. The concept for Food is Culture came naturally and instantaneously with my partner, Tabea Lutz, given that she has been focusing nutritionally on the concept of Seed Cycling and how it can regulate hormones and ease all symptoms related to the female moon cycle. And with my work being based on moonly characters, our ideas gelled organically creating a successful collaboration.
This project also came as a stepping stone to a bigger project I’ve been working towards. An exhibition that mimics a trip to the moon through my moon characters.But for this project, instead of using my moon characters I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and create installation pieces.
Something I’ve always wanted to venture into, but never got the opportunity.The concept we tackled in this collaboration was the female moon cycle. A topic typically frowned upon when discussed and more importantly not educated about enough. Aside from the general perception of this natural female phenomena, this exhibition is an ode to the wonders of the female physiology and its connection to the moon.
Just like the calm one sees from the first look at my moon people, this exhibition carries the same calm to a subject usually ignored and shunned. Finding beauty in all humanly conditions has always been a driver of my art. And thats what I wanted to do to a topic that seemed so grotesque to many people, and even to me. In partnership with Tabea Lutz and her part in educating the viewer from a nutritional perspective, these installations show what good nutrition means to the female moon cycle. Each installation for each moon phase shows what a healthy female moon cycle should feel like and how beautifully our bodies work, which is the ultimate goal we wished to achieve from these installations.
The phases of the moon cycle are linked to that of the female menstrual cycle. The exhibition started and ended with the menstrual phase, inspired by smoke clouds from a rocket ship launch, showing that same beautiful destruction of the shedding of the uterus lining. Then we move to a phase of confidence depicted by a confidence mirror and to a divine recreation of the moon representing the female egg, a precursor to human life. Next, we arrive at distorted mirrors that try to make all sexes understand what a female feels in such a phase of low hormones. That feeling of self loathing and rejection of our physical appearance. And finally ending the exhibit where we started, the menstrual phase, the phase of resting, reflection, and renewal.