Hidden in our drawers and pantries lie our secret sugary pleasures. Secret Stash is a body of work that explores sheer temptation, fun and frivolity. The crumpled packaging denotes eagerness to dive in and surrender to these delights. As a child, these foods symbolised moments of happiness and security and today they evoke feelings of familiarity, joy, and comfort. They are the taste of my memory. We tend to stash away our sweet treats for our own satisfaction, an escape or guilty pleasure and just maybe for our own coping mechanisms.
Secret Stash is inspired by my love of painting still life and I have been influenced by the classic Dutch still life artist, Johannes Vermeer, contemporary Australian artist, Zoe Young, and food painter, Wayne Thiebaud.