Feast for All Peoples is an international social art project collecting recipes and drawings from every nation in the world
Overview
A Feast for All Peoples is an international social art project which will culminate in an exhibition of ceramic plates representing every nation in the world. The dishes are hand made from clay and decorated with food recipes and children's drawings from every nation. We are looking for a representative from each nation to participate in the project. In addition to the recipes and drawings, there are a few simple questions that participants respond to in their own language and handwriting. These responses are mailed to us and transferred through a silk screen printing process onto the surface of a ceramic plate.
As you can imagine, all of this is a lot of work. I have been dreaming about this idea for over 10 years but I just began working on it in 2020. The crazy part is that it will most probably take at least 10 years to complete (and that is a conservative estimate), so it is going to be quite the journey! I hope that you will follow along!
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About Ruth
I was born to American parents living and working in Spain. I grew up as an immigrant there. Not only that, my parents worked with an international school which surrounded me with many other cultures. As a result I was raised by a community of people from other nations. My babysitters and teachers were from Holland, Columbia, Gurnsy, Denmark, and Brazil. I had Aunties and Uncles (people who were adopted into our family for holidays and such) were from places like Wales, Egypt, Korea, New Zealand and France just to name just a few.
As a result I have always felt most connected with people who are displaced and who have the experience of being from somewhere else. This has produced in me such a curiosity and passion for experiencing other cultures.
Inspiration
The people of the world are so beautiful! When I look over my life, and think about my childhood as well as my college years, many of my favorite memories, are of giving and receiving hospitality around a table. I love experiencing other cultures through cooking and sharing a meal.
Food is such a unique and personal expression. It is an expression of culture and at the same time every home has its own unique food traditions. I love getting to know people through these traditions. Eating is a universal human experience, a daily necessity required for sustenance but it is more than that… It is also often a source of comfort, celebration, hospitality…family and friends sitting around a table…home… and when you come from far away home is something you long for. In fact, it is my belief that everyone longs for home.