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‘DISH’ is a major exhibition indulging in the beauty and complexity of food. Beyond mere sustenance, food binds us to family, friends and culture, shaping our identities, preserving traditions and igniting memory. 

An essential source of nourishment and a fundamental influence on our routines and decisions, food represents more than just the everyday. The artists featured in ‘DISH’ delve into the ways food allows us to share stories, explore creativity and feel connectedness. An examination of human connection to the world, this exhibition explores how we harness natural resources and how we engage with each other.

A dynamic celebration featuring contemporary crafts, sculpture, printmaking and stories, ‘DISH’ invites us to consider our layered relationships with food.

Featuring: Mechelle Bounpraseuth, ChiliPhilly, Zena Cumpston, Laetitia Olivier-Gargano, Callum Preston and Elizabeth Willing.

Image credit: Mechelle Bounpraseuth, ‘Bánh mì’, 2022, glazed earthenware, 12 x 19 x 14cm, image courtesy of the artist and Chalk Horse.

Download the catalogue

  DISH arts catalogue 557.63 KB [PDF] 1 March 2024

Exhibition photography

Browse the exhibition by scrolling through the image carousel below.

Image of a figure wearing a crocheted watermelon slice, shaped as a triangle with a hole in the middle fitted around their face. The figure has short, dark hair, a dark moustache, and a grey shirt. Their face is expressionless. The watermelon ‘hat’ is bright pink with black spots, and the top of the hat features a bright green rind.
ChiliPhilly, ‘Watermelon Hat’, 2015, acrylic yarn, polyfill, dimensions variable, image courtesy of the artist.
Image of 6 white ceramic platters containing various objects arranged in a rectangular formation on a white background. The top left plate contains a real leaf with a moth. The other platters have plastic sculptures on them, including peas, half a sandwich, a bird poop splatter, a dumpling with soy sauce and a pink flower.
Laetitia Olivier-Gargano, detail from ‘It tastes like home’, 2023, polyurethane resin, polymer paint, varnish, polymer clay, ceramic dishes, snail shell, plastic bread tags, cicada, fly, moth, bark, peg, leaves, gecko, 60 x 60cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Image of two rectangular signs, one navy, the other dark grey with big letters. Above and below are other sections of signs painted in hues of red with no visible text on them. The Navy sign says ‘Fresh bre’ in capitalised, light orange painted letters. The dark grey sign is upside down with light grey letters. The letters are partially obscured, but the displayed word has a B, M, E, and R that are legible.
Callum Preston, detail from ‘Sign of the times’, 2023, plywood, composite panel, acrylic, found materials, vinyl, enamel paint and acrylic paint, 240 x 200 x 200cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Image of a large linen fabric square on a white background. The linen is a neutral brown colour with a thin, hand-stitched embroidered edge in various shades of green. Brown splodges of paint are printed scattered around the middle of the square. Eight additional pieces of linen have been cut into circles and ovals and arranged in a circular formation around the brown splodges. The pieces are also a neutral brown colour but stamped with pink, green, purple, yellow and grey shapes resembling potatoes.
Elizabeth Willing, ‘Flower of beer’, 2021, linen, cotton, thread, acrylic paint, 108 x 106cm, image courtesy of the artist and Tolarno Galleries. Photograph by Chris Howlett.
A black and white linocut print depicting a variety of Australian flora.
Zena Cumpston, detail from 'Value! #1-10', 2023, linocut collage on Fabriano paper with kopi, artist's proof, 59.4 x 42cm, image courtesy of the artist. Photograph by Christian Capurro.
Four mannequins at an exhibition wear unique outfits: the first wears a yellow apron and a popcorn headdress, the second wears a watermelon headdress and a pink dress, the third wears a striped shirt and a popcorn box headdress and the fourth wears a colorful dress and a tomato headdress.
Installation View, ‘DISH’, Town Hall Gallery, February 2024
Two mannequins wearing colorful outfits stand in front of a gallery wall with three colorful artworks.
Installation View, ‘DISH’, Town Hall Gallery, February 2024
Four colorful abstract paintings hang on a white wall in an art gallery.
Installation View, ‘DISH’, Town Hall Gallery, February 2024
A gallery space with several sculptures displayed on white pedestals.
Installation View, ‘DISH’, Town Hall Gallery, February 2024
A variety of small white dishes are arranged on a green wall. The dishes contain a variety of objects, including food, plants and insects.
Installation View, ‘DISH’, Town Hall Gallery, February 2024
Several pedestals are placed in a gallery space. On each pedestal is a grocery item.
Installation View, ‘DISH’, Town Hall Gallery, February 2024
a gallery with framed black and white prints on the walls and a colorful 3D sculpture of letters in the center of the room.
Installation View, ‘DISH’, Town Hall Gallery, February 2024
A gallery wall with 11 black and white prints of various sizes and a light wood floor.
Installation View, ‘DISH’, Town Hall Gallery, February 2024
A colorful sign on a wall lists various food items
Installation View, ‘DISH’, Town Hall Gallery, February 2024
DISH - major exhibition featuring Callum Preston video transcript

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