Paintings of Food and Non-Food

Last Updated on December 14, 2024

A collection of food paintings by New Zealand artist Amiria Gale.

This series of paintings explores the definition of food. Her current works illustrate what she defines as ‘Food’ or ‘Non-Food’ – the difference being crucial in achieving good health.

These works aim to illustrate that food is that which nourishes us, rather than processed and deceptive arrangements of manufactured ingredients – as per the ideas of Libby Marama Grace. This non-food has been processed to the extent that nutritional content is removed and calorie concentration increased, while flavors distorted and manipulated. Non-foods appeal to our taste-buds but do not provide the nutrition that our bodies are hungry for.

These paintings endeavour to illustrate the artificial, glossy, nature of such products in a way that their seductive quality is less certain, while elevating the beauty of genuine foods.

compositional sketch planning painting of fruit
Sketchbook page showing compositional sketches of fruit paintings, exploring texture, rhythm, and colour.
Painting of heritage apples
Painting of heritage apples in grid formation
Painting of plums
Painting of plums in grid formation
Painting of tomatoes
Painting of heritage tomatoes in grid formation
Painting of sweets
Painting of jet plane lollies in grid formation. These sweets are multi-coloured, as are the heritage fruit varieties above, yet this variety is an illusion, with all core ingredients the same…
Painting of lollies
Painting of assorted lollies / sweets in grid formation.
Realistic painting of sugar
A painting of a bag of sugar sitting on a bench. Shellac (varnish) and other textured mixed media has been used to create the rough bench surface.