takeaway

Year: 2024

Dimensions: 45 x 35 cm

Materials: paper bag, thread

Takeaways contain the stereotypes of food culture. Consumers are sold the suggestion of ‘authenticity’ at convenience, with the open secret of edited flavours for appearance and palatability. Yet for many consumers, this is the most common encounter they will have with that culture. When given menus in a language we don’t understand, we rely on translations – text that is often littered with misspellings, unfamiliar dishes and ingredients. We might even laugh at the absurdity of it all, for you can’t possibly mean to be eating that.

Here I embroidered a ‘typical’ Chinese takeaway menu on the reverse side, including British favourites such as sweet and sour pork. Chinese translated into English. Only this time, the corresponding Chinese text translates not to dishes, but are of sentiments familiar to us in the moments when we question our belonging. Only the back of the stitching is shown because though our stories are numerous, they remain mostly untold.

Shown in:
Take-Away (2024)

Photo by Jon C. Archdeacon