By Susan White
”El Gran General” by Oscar Camilo de las Flores
When presented with the art of Oscar Camilo de las Flores, cooking is typically not the first thing that comes to mind. “El Gran General,” for example, depicts a menacing black and white figure clad in a collage of decaying, gruesome objects – an effect that many would find disturbing, if not unappetizing. Culinary artist Afreen Wahaab, however, begs to differ. She finds much figurative “color in [de las Flores’] black and white,” enough to inspire entire dishes, which she presented at the Paul Mahder Gallery on July 23.
This tendency to find beauty in everything triggered Afreen’s regular food and art pairing exhibitions. A self-professed lover of history, philosophy, and, of course, art, Afreen uses these disciplines to fuel her creativity in the kitchen, often using the works of her favorite artists as a starting point for her palettes.