Gong Hua On Becoming Fashion's Favourite New Artist

In the past year or so, the Shanghai‐born, Singapore‐based creative behind the platform Who Eats Art has been chalking up commissions from some of the biggest names in fashion and lifestyle: Beyond The Vines, The Paper Bunny, the independent salon 35A. And these are just the ones here. Her work might be best described as an intriguing blend of installation, sculpture, interactive art and photography. Her materials: familiar foods and ingredients that, under her vision, become strangely abstract and very, very cool. Ahead of her collaboration with us on the following pages, she tells us about who really eats art.

TELL US ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF WHO EATS ART AND HOW YOU’VE DEVELOPED IT INTO A CREATIVE PLATFORM AS WELL AS A BUSINESS.

“The Covid‐19 pandemic birthed many foodies, myself included. In 2021, I had come across a couple of American food artists online, then discovered a cool void deck opposite my house that became the setting for my first work (an installation titled Void Egg, made up of boiled eggs – some half eaten – on metal platters, with the shells scattered around on the table, creating an almost abstract expressionist visual when seen from above).

That was the start of Who Eats Art. My original intention as an artist was to present an alternative view of the food that we encounter every day, with the hope of building a community with those who share an appreciation for the amalgamation of food and art ... Because my expertise lies in conceptualising and executing experiential events – something I still do as a freelancer (she used to work in fashion retail and then a creative agency, and at press time is managing strategic partnerships for this year’s edition of the Singapore International Film Festival) – you can say that I’ve combined all of my interests and turned them into a business.”

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE A FOOD ARTIST AND WHAT THE WORKS OF WHO EATS ART ARE ABOUT?

“I try to keep my art edible as much as possible because that is what I want people to do: to interact and consume art figuratively and literally. Who eats art? I want it to be you, me, every one of us. More than using just visuals, I’d also like to be able to tell a story conceptually. When you eat one of my works, you’re literally putting that story into your body. That is how I see myself connecting brands that commission me with audiences ... I love storytelling and want to inspire people with what has inspired me: how one can tell a story with food as a medium. Having said that, we’re all visual creatures, so how my work looks still comes first. I also don’t have the capacity to create conceptual art every day. My practice thus revolves around a mixture of visual and conceptual art as well as interesting food art‐related content that I come across. Think of it as me rediscovering #foodporn and turning it into something new. It might not be a feast for your belly, but it’s definitely a feast for your eyes and soul.”

DOES THIS MEAN THAT MOST OF YOUR WORKS ARE PERISHABLE AND IN TURN EPHEMERAL?

“This makes it sound so sad, but yes. I think about this all the time, especially when I’m super busy, such as last week, when I had to create works for two editorial shoots and an event in Singapore – and I was in South Korea half of the time (she collaborates with the likes of bakers, prop makers and other artists to produce her works, with her providing creative direction). I was just thinking about the amount of time and energy I put into creating art, and I have to keep creating because the work perishes, and only remains in images and etched in memories. I also envy other artists who can take their time – years even – to create one piece of work. But, hey, this constant necessity to create also means I’m never stuck with ideas. There are so many possibilities, and to me, the shorter the timeline I have to work with, the greater the gratification. This keeps me going even though my art is perishable.”

TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW YOU WORK AS AN ARTIST.

“I always feel that it’s a good thing that I can’t bake and cook because this means my work is not limited by, say, cuisine or cooking style. Apart from creating art, you can say I curate art and other creatives. If, say, there’s a baker or an existing food item from a restaurant that I think can help me bring my work to life, I’d reach out to work with them – or, in some cases, buy their products. I’m also always open to new collaborators who are very adventurous and keen to explore and expand their craft. I don’t take no for an answer and I know some of my ideas are not logically possible, so I work very closely with my collaborators, who are like my hands and help me test things out.”

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO SHOP FOR YOUR “ART SUPPLIES”?

“I go to Little India and Chinatown pretty often to seek out exotic ingredients. I also check out some of the international grocers we have here – places such as So France and Baltic Supermart.”

AND TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR CLIENTS, WHICH SEEM MOSTLY NOT FROM THE WORLD OF F&B.

“As I write this, my latest event would have been the opening of Beyond The Vines’ New Bahru store (she came up with the display for the catering, inspired by the brand’s signature colour blocking and local theme for the night), and I’m currently in Shanghai prepping for a private interactive food art event where guests will get to draw while going through the installations. And if they’re adventurous, they can also get a flash tattoo on site. I’m very excited about this one, as it’s in my home town where I have no friends – and I’m about to make some through food.

Who Eats Art has truly given me so much and I know there’s even more coming, as I have in the works a worldwide supper club that’s supposed to launch early next year. And as I’m entering a new age bracket, I’ve started to realise that there’s a younger generation that might be interested to learn about what I do, so I’ve also started taking up gigs that are more educational and for community building – one is happening early next month and another, next September.”

DO YOU NEED TO BE A FOODIE TO BE A FOOD ARTIST?

“That’s a very good question. No; one can be discerning about taste aesthetically and gastronomically, and you don’t have to be a foodie. I can eat very simple food every day, and I don’t have to check out the latest and hippest F&B joints. I’ve reached a point where I can tell if a dish or restaurant is good just by looking at photos of them and have actually been recommending people places to dine at without having tried them. If I don’t do the eating, can I still be considered a foodie?”

AND IS FOOD MORE FUN THAN FASHION?

“What can I say: Food is more fun when it involves fashion, and fashion is more fun when it involves food.”

THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED FOR BREVITY AND CLARITY.

This article first appeared in the December 2024 Food Edition of FEMALE