The Forbidden Jelly

Many of my images are depictions of foods and edible objects; I believe they are the broadest door to experiencing and attempting to understand a different culture. Besides my appearance, the food I grew up with was especially something which alienated me from the other kids around me.

Like many others with the same experience as myself (second and later-generation immigrants), you tend to find ways to appreciate and rediscover elements of your cultural heritage. These elements generate a sense of connection and pride, while simultaneously acting as signifiers of otherness that can be used to caricature.

This work in particular is an homage to a type of dessert my mother used to make. A dessert which I, through social conditioning, hated but later on learned to love and appreciate again. It is called “Rau Câu”, a gelatin dessert made with sweetened and (usually) pandan-flavored processed collagen.

The whole setup was a collaboration between my mother and me, in which we looked through countless of her moulds and other props. The piece was exhibited at the Fotografisk Center here in Copenhagen as a part of their "Young Danish Photography 23" exhibition.

Minh Ngọc Nguyễn is part of »Guest Room: Heather Canlas Rigg & Emmy Lee Wall«.

Check out his Artist Feature “Everlasting Karaoke”.