Table With Food

Growing up, food became something I feared. My skin condition came with a long list of allergies that made eating feel dangerous. Certain foods would cause flare-ups, leaving me itchy, inflamed, and scared of my own body’s reaction. Meals that others enjoyed freely became reminders of what I couldn’t have. I learned to avoid rather than indulge, to observe rather than participate.
Through this piece, I confronted that fear directly. Each element on the table represents a food that once caused me harm—objects that held both desire and anxiety. The act of arranging and handling them became a quiet form of rebellion, a way of reclaiming control over my own body. The video at the center captures the ritual of interaction, blurring the line between fear and familiarity, between nourishment and restriction.
As my health improved and my body grew stronger, I began to see these foods not as threats but as symbols of resilience. This installation isn’t only about overcoming allergies; it’s about the emotional weight of nourishment—learning to feed myself without fear, to find strength in what once weakened me. Facing what I once avoided became an act of healing in itself.