Hello Sheryll, for starters, can you describe an awkward party experience?

“Well, it’s definitely a party with the usual mingling, food and music, but leave your expectations at the door. Expect serendipitous encounters with strangers outside your social circle; to have to work with your tablemates for your meal; and music that will transport you to a different time and place. Who knows? You might leave with a new friend or two, so come with an open mind. Stay curious and excited, and we’ll take care of the rest.”

What can we expect from Third Wheeling?

“A total takeover of Artichoke on January 10 and 11! It will be our biggest installation, with a slice of it on public display at the restaurant’s entrance from January 6 to 15. Expect total visual chaos, eating art off large sculptures, and chance encounters with strangers – we’re even offering a matchmaking service. But, most importantly, you’ll meet new people and see that art can be full of texture, warmth and playfulness right here in sunny Singapore.”

This is the first time Awkward Party is staging an experience at an actual F&B institution. So how did this collaboration with Artichoke come about?

“It was a natural decision – the people at Artichoke are rebellious and cheeky rule-breakers, just like Rachael and I. It’s also special to me. It’s where I had saved up to dine for my first ‘fancy meal’ growing up and where I first ate in a group of five after the first circuit breaker was lifted. I celebrated birthdays there. I’ve been there solo. No matter the occasion, I always feel at home, and it’s clear that everyone else who visits does too. But most of all, we approached Artichoke for Third Wheeling because of what the restaurant brings to the table. It’s a well-respected player in the F&B scene that proves that artistry, great hospitality and inventiveness can exist in casual dining, and it’s always been Awkward Party’s mission to partner with people who will challenge us to level up and approach our craft differently.”

Tell me more about your personal relationship with food.

“The running joke at home is that I’m the dishwasher in the family while everyone else is a great cook! Food programmes were a big part of my childhood: Yan Can Cook, the shows of Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver – they transported me to a different place and time… Some of my favourite memories involve food – such as making pineapple tarts for Chinese New Year with my mum back in 2003 while being fed home-brewed kombucha. The drink wasn’t the trend it is today, but my mom is a hipster.”

Did you intentionally set out to have food as a motif in your practice?

“My curiosity about food and art started when I moved to Glasgow for art school. At that time, I could barely cook anything decent and was forced to learn how to make the dishes I loved as a way of celebrating things such as meeting a big deadline. Even though I usually had to resort to instant curry paste by Prima Deli as a shortcut, I felt a little more connected to home each time I worked my way through a recipe… I also discovered that food ingredients are usually cheaper than art materials. A big part of my Textile Design degree involved coming up with images to inform colour research for designs. The shelves of British pickles, sago pearls and jello mix at Tesco appealed to me more than the grey buildings around me, so I started making these jelly sculptures and photographing them for colour and texture. My interest in food bloomed from there… I started, for example, getting into some amazing food films, which inspired my final-year dissertation: Food, Fetish and the Uncanny in Asian films. Today, movies such as Spirited Away, Eat Drink Man Woman and Tampopo remain my all-time favourites.”

Food has long been the subject of art since at least the Renaissance when artists painted tableaus of fruits. There are also more contemporary works, such as Rirkrit Tiravanija converting a gallery into a kitchen and serving rice and Thai curry for free in the ’90s, with the audience – knowingly or unknowingly – becoming part of the work. Why do you think food has such a powerful influence on artists?

“Food is unique in the way it’s able to evoke memories or politics. It can also be elevated or made humble, depending on how it’s served. I think artists are attracted to food because it draws from many themes and can be manipulated to suit what an artist wants to do. Many artists who deal with food are also interested in community and connections, and food has always been an effective way of uniting people. Lastly, I think food is a really powerful way of allowing someone to get a slice of you, your world and your heritage.”

What sets food apart from other artistic materials?

“With food, you have to consider many things – from the freshness of ingredients to cooking time. It really requires one to be extremely present… I would say that the key difference between food and other artistic materials is that food is alive. It’s not like clay or paper with which you have to create something to give meaning. Food is a category of product on its own with its own purpose. The question is, how do you bring something to that narrative beyond eating it?”

What has been the most interesting and, conversely, most difficult way you’ve incorporated food into your works?

“A caveat: I’m not physically making the food involved in my art. They’re instead made by the restaurants and chefs that I collaborate with. My role is to create objects and environments for the food served. I’d say the biggest challenge has been to ensure that the resulting artwork is not only pretty, but also functional and food-safe. What the food touches needs to be easy to clean, and everything has to have cohesion with the choice of the restaurant, all while relating to visitors. All of this sets my work apart from that that is situated within the classic white cube.”

What is your go-to comfort food?

“Teochew porridge will probably be my last meal on earth – the stall named Joo Seng, located on Cheong Chin Nam Road (I know it’s confusing), is a classic.”

Photography Athirah Annissa Art Direction Keng Yang Shuen Hair & Makeup Sarah Tan, using Gucci Beauty  

A version of this article first appeared in the Jan/Feb 2023 Art & Music Edition of FEMALE