Hafsa Murtaza - Veganified Indian Cuisine

Veganified Indian Cuisine, 2023

Etching, screenprint and letterpress on Japanese Gampi Washi paper and patterned chiyogami paper

Veganified Indian Cuisine (Front and Reverse Side), 2023

Etching, screenprint and letterpress on Japanese Gampi Washi paper, chiyogami

1/5 Veganified Indian Cuisine, 2023

Etching, screenprint and letterpress on Japanese Gampi Washi paper, chiyogami

Veganified Indian Cuisine is a varied edition of artist books exploring the ongoing transformation of cultures through food. The artist's books have etchings illustrating the courses of a typical Indian-Pakistani meal with mango paneer, naan, daal, spices, chai and traditional Nankhatai biscuits. However, the colours of the food and the poem on the reverse side of the book reveal that the dishes are vegan, made with tofu, avocado naan, tempeh, lentils and coconut. The patterned chiyogami papers resemble the warm colours of spices and traditional Pakistani textiles used as tablecloths. Furthermore, creating the book mimicked the assembly of food and pastries. The Gampi Japanese Washi paper made of natural mulberry fibres alludes to food production, and its thin translucency resembles phyllo dough. The folding of the pages is much like the assembly of samosas or wrapped sweets. Moreover, the circular form of the book pages is reminiscent of traditional Indian thali bowls, plates, or the globe. Folding the book in different arrangements creates circular and spherical forms, demonstrating the transformation and intermingling of cultures as represented in Indian-Pakistani food evolving with Western vegan diets.