The Taste of Memory

The Taste of Memory explores personal and collective family narratives woven through still-life compositions, intertwining threads of home, heritage, and identity. Through the careful arrangement of ingredients and culinary artifacts, I pay homage to the kitchen traditions that have shaped my family's story across generations. My compositions offer a visual journey through the tastes and textures of traditions inspired by Dutch still-life paintings–and the family kitchen table.

Old family recipes from my village in Northern Germany serve as both muse and medium in my artistic practice. In a small farming village, fruits and vegetables from surrounding fields and gardens were preserved for wintertime use. Herbs and sausages were hung from the kitchen ceiling to dry. Recipes were passed down from mother to daughter, from one generation to the next. The recipes, stained with use and memory, serve as gateways into family histories and village culture. As memory shifts in the act of recollection, recipes evolve over time, mirroring the dynamic nature of cultural identity. Some of the images include embroidery fragments, reminiscent of old decorative dish towels from the village. These patterns, once created as celebratory symbolism for births, weddings, and funerals, now speak of loss and the gradual disappearance of cultural rites.

Through the arrangements of everyday objects, I evoke the familiarity and comfort of domestic spaces. Each item from my family’s now uninhabited farmhouse holds a story, a connection to the past, and a reflection of the present. From heirloom crochet doilies, passed down through generations, to weathered kitchen utensils, The Taste of Memory serves as a portal to the heart of home, a goodbye to a memory lost and an invitation to create a new recipe, a new memory, and a new story.