Freshly Peeled: A self portrait that marks a moment I shed a layer of my tender skin.
Besides taste testing of course, one of my favorite parts about cooking is the act of cutting and chopping, the preparation. My parents introduced my brother and I to kitchen knives at a pretty young age so we've always been comfortable chopping away. I used to think it was because they didn't want to take on the repetitive task, particularly the onions. Though after time I started to understand the importance of the way foods are cut. I learned that the food will perform, feel and sometimes even taste differently all depending on which way I sliced the knife. Whether I decided to keep the stems or peel the skin. I realized the subtle power I had, aside from being a gangly kid with a big ole butcher's knife.
I applied this exact concept to myself when I realized the power I have to peel away the rotten parts of myself. This piece depicts that first smooth peel of an orange rind. You know when you peel an orange and you get all of the skin off in one go? It's so satisfying that at times you don't even want to throw the skin away. Because you find a little bit of happiness looking at the reminisce of your success. But after awhile, with the beautiful aroma of citrus on your fingers, you throw it away since it was never any use to you to begin with. That is exactly how it felt when I shed my skin.
