Women & Non-Binary Grant Recipient | Nivi Shaham

Women & Non-Binary Grant Recipient

Nivi Shaham

I love the interconnectedness of Culture and food. I think we learn a lot about culture through eating the unique foods of different cultures, as well as visually seeing their differences. This project was an ode to culture in America. With that, I wanted these feasts of culture to be displayed as if you’re viewing them in a museum. I wanted the audience to feel like a spectator looking in on a commentary on Culture in America.

You first see the Americana Thanksgiving that plays into the stereotypical Thanksgiving dinner you would expect to see a generationally American family eating. Big turkey, stuffing, brussel sprouts, carrots, and roasted potatoes — all American classics for Thanksgiving.

Then there's the Multicultural Feast showing the integration of additional cultures’ foods into America. You see Mexican food, Italian food, and Thai food alongside the American classic of burger and fries. This scene gets a little messier, as it begins the process of breaking down the stereotypes seen in Americana Thanksgiving.

Lastly, there's The New America. It's a whole new type of scene. Its spilling wine out of the glass, and linens flung haphazardly. It's food in places where you wouldn’t normally see them, and chaos all about. This photo has cuisine from China, Vietnam, the Middle East, India, Korea, and none from America.

America is these different cultures and it’s made America a new place, a messier place, a more fun place, and better place because of it.

Moment Creator Grant #2 - Female x Non-Binary Recipients

Moment x @tiffpenguin x Sony x WANDRD