Yulin Yuan

Artist Catalogue

Virtual Exhibition

Group Catalogue Site

I can create a world as fast as I can create this dish

In the beginning, there was nothing in the universe except a formless chaos. However, this chaos coalesced into a world egg over 18,000 years, and Pangu emerged from the egg. He separated Yin from Yang with a swing of his giant axe, creating the Earth and the Sky. Nüwa the Goddess then used the mud of the water bed to form the shape of humans.

 – Chinese mythology of world creation

The process of making food in a home is a series of mundane actions often overlooked, until you realise how much power it can manifest within your heritage. Pangu created the world with an axe; Nüwa moulded humans with mud; with such simple actions and physical equipment, Earth was created. What if making a dish is equal to creating a world? Food holds symbolic positions in Chinese culture. Each region has their trademark taste. Spice and chilli are the crucial ingredients from my hometown, Anshun. After moving to South Africa, fitting in was my goal as a first generation Chinese immigrant. Many first generations grow up feeling detached from their cultural identities. Such detachedness not only draws us further away from the feeling that we belong, but also further away from our parents and other family. The environment around the first generation immigrant children is also different – very different – from the ones their parents grew up in. Through communication and sharing with one another, I learned that the world built for me by my parents, especially my mom, was such a monumental achievement. Immigrant families have made huge sacrifices for their kids’ futures. Foods and chillies are not just something we consume; they also symbolise love, care and the passing on of traditions. My works reflects on the conversation around cultural explorations. It is a conversation about my parents, the dish and the idea of family. Our lineage will carry on as I create this world, a world where I visualise my journey through the juxtaposition of cultural experiences – a journey that allowed me to reconnect with my heritage and my identity.