RUI WANG

Friend's Kitchen

Statement

Friend's Kitchen presents a series of still-life photographs that capture the essence of everyday meals. These images portray a range of foods we encounter daily, from morning snacks to the empty plates that remain after dinner. Though the fleeting nature of home-cooked meals means they often don't linger in front of us for long, and their taste may be more memorable than their appearance, I am passionate about recreating these moments to evoke a sense of appreciation for the simple pleasures that come with homemade dishes. To create these images, I typically purchased ingredients from the supermarket, sometimes prepared dishes in my own kitchen, and photographed them in my tiny studio during the evening hours.

This collection serves as a diverse menu that is both accessible and unpretentious, without any overbearing philosophical undertones. As a form of commercial photography, the goal is to attract and resonate with viewers through the use of color, texture, and shape in a brief, yet impactful way. While some other photographs aim to capture "the meaning of life" or "the essence of life," the dishes featured in Friend's Kitchen can be seen as "the ingredients of life." They are simple and ordinary, but they also evoke a sense of delight as they are served fresh and steaming from the oven.