Toshiko Takaezu (1922-2011), who was known for her “closed forms.” In
her 2003 interview, she described her interest in making monumental clay
sculptures that were almost entirely closed, save for one small air
hole necessary for the firing process: “This form is like a canvas, a
three-dimensional canvas, anyway. In a certain stage of my life I
decided, if I don’t do this now, I will never make it. The time was
right to make big pieces. And also, I like the idea of dancing around
the piece when I put the glaze on. You get the big brush and you walk
around.”
Happy New Year from the Ashmolean Museum! We hope you enjoyed your celebrations as much as these frogs and goldfish are enjoying theirs. Woodblock print by Japanese artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) 🎉
If grandmothers around the world had a rallying cry, it would probably sound something like “You need to eat!”
Photographer Gabriele Galimberti’s grandmother said something similar to him before one of his many globetrotting work trips. To ensure he had at least one good meal, she prepared for him a dish of ravioli before he departed on one of his adventures.
“In that occasion I said to my grandma ‘You know, Grandma, there are many other grandmas around the world and most of them are really good cooks,” Galimberti wrote via email. “I’m going to meet them and ask them to cook for me so I can show you that you don’t have to be worried for me and the food that I will eat!’ This is the way my project was born!”
The project, “Delicatessen With Love”, took Galimberti to 58 countries where he photographed grandmothers with both the ingredients and finished signature dishes.
He acted as photographer and stylist during each shoot with the grandmothers, taking a portrait of both the women and the food they made for him.
From top to bottom:
Inara Runtule, 68, Kekava, Latvia. Silke €(herring with potatoes and cottage cheese).
Grace Estibero, 82, Mumbai, India. Chicken vindaloo.
Susann Soresen, 81, Homer, Alaska. Moose steak.
Serette Charles, 63, Saint-Jean du Sud, Haiti. Lambi in creole sauce.
The photographer’s grandmother Marisa Batini, 80, Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy. Swiss chard and ricotta Ravioli with meat sauce.
Normita Sambu Arap, 65, Oltepessi (Masaai Mara), Kenya. Mboga and orgali (white corn polenta with vegetables and goat).
Julia Enaigua, 71, La Paz, Bolivia. Queso Humacha (vegetables and fresh cheese soup).
