About the Cat

From a very young age, I’ve always had an interest in food. I grew up in Indonesia, where we did not have the privilege of following recipes point-blank. With socio-political realities of what food trade looks like on a global scale, adapting recipes from its original position is one I’ve been extremely comfortable with.

The discourse surrounding ‘authenticity’ began with, as usual in this day and age, TikTok. Authenticity police are circulating every shared recipe online with an assertive voice that deems their opinion truthful. I wanted to challenge this with injected nuance and dynamism that the food industry practices, especially given seasonality and advanced techniques of unconventional seasonings and sauces that can really elevate the original dish.

During A Taste of Europe this summer, I noticed a paradox when it comes to the archival system of recipe books. It demonstrated a performative impulse to project a narrative that benefited those in power. It removed love and care from the passing down of these traditions in households that used food as a social infrastructure rather than a political one. Recipes should instead reflect how personal it is—springboarding from tradition and being able to evolve a dish through connection and nostalgia.

I wanted the Copy Cat to reflect this. A space of reinvigorating love and connection through food, personal recipes, and bringing it back to its neutral form without violently safeguarding tradition, yet still respecting its ontological roots.