ICU

For the Thai Studies final project Evie and I have chosen to do a presentation on the role of food carving in Thai culture. We were able to include a lot of interesting information of the background of the art and how it evolved into the modern food carvings we see today. We came across (and included in our power point) a multitude of photos made for royal dinners and whatnot that were totally mind-blowing. Thais manage to make incredible ornate and complicated carvings. As an art student I find things like this inspiring and I hope to incorporate what I’ve learned into my work back home.

The best part of our project has turned out to be each (Thai Studies) student’s attempt to make a cucumber rose. We handed out knives and half of a cucumber to each Thai Studies student. We showed them a picture of the final product (a rose) and gave them one hour to complete. At the end of the hour we had each student pose with their carving. Some cucumbers came back in pieces some came back with tape others came back in a form somewhat resembling a rose. They’re all pretty humorous.

These attempts highlight the finesse and skill required to make many of the traditional food carvings associated with Thai culture. The tradition of food carving has definitely developed into an art form and is a staple Thailand’s culture and cuisine. Food carving is taught in schools and classes are offered for Thais and tourists alike. I’m glad that I have learned at least a little about this cultural art and that I will be able to take some of the carving techniques home. I hope to use food carving in someway in future sculpture projects so I can utilize my new skill.