Mellyn Sun

"香 (Fragrant)" depicts a Cantonese poached chicken, cut and plated with all parts of the chicken present including the head and the wings. Being a commonly seen dish in the Guangdong province of China where my maternal family is from this dish is also a representation of my grandma's insistence on never wasting food and showing respect to the animal by utilising all parts of it during the cooking process. The title "香 (Fragrant)" is a play on words that could be understood as 香 as in fragrant but also 烧香 meaning to burn incense which often is a part of the process as a way to thank the animal for its life and the meal it has provided us with.

"余 (Abundance)" depicts another Cantonese specialty, steamed fish with ginger and shallots. This dish always appears at every important family gathering, in particular Chinese New Year as a way to hope for a year of abundance as the characters for fish (鱼) and abundance (余) in Chinese are homophones. My grandma places great importance on foods that represent good fortune and blessings, hence why this dish has become so significant in our family.

Install view of "香 (Fragrant), 余 (Abundance), and 婆婆 (Portrait of my Grandma)"

“婆婆 (Portrait of my Grandma)” depicts my grandma sitting on a small plastic stool washing a bunch of scallions for the sauce that is made to be drizzled on both the chicken and fish. This depiction references a candid photo of her that I took whilst visiting my grandparents, and as a moment of reflection I wanted to acknowledge her labour and memorise it permanently in my work. Wearing her same old shirt and apron and her slippers with the flower decor missing out of the hole, this image captures her attitude of making do with what she's got and never throwing out things that can still be used.