I was struggling to answer the question, "What does culture mean to you?" and my wife suggested food as a good example of what different cultures contribute to their community.

From this suggestion grew this series of salad bowl paintings.

The salad bowl is a commonly used metaphor in social science to describe a multicultural culture. It is not a mixing pot. Each ingredient contributes to the overall meal and enhances it, but each item retains its original and unique features.

To me that perfectly sums up what a vibrant and diverse community should be about.

I'll be entering two of these paintings into the Southampton Open exhibition this summer as part of their bid for City of Culture.

Here's the details about the open exhibition so far:

https://southamptoncityartgallery.com/whats-on/2022-open-exhibition/