World Food Day is an international day observed every year on October 16 to commemorate the anniversary of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s creation in 1945. Many additional organizations concerned with hunger and food security, including the World Food Program, the World Health Organization, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, observe the day. WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to battle hunger, contribute to peace in conflict zones, and play a major role in preventing the use of hunger as a weapon.
Food has been a tool for bringing peace just like art that speaks beyond all boundaries and certain artists use their art to illustrate food in the most hyper-realistic ways possible that leave us stunned. Below are two such artists whose works we’d like to honor this World Food Day.
Kailene Falls
Kailene, who was born and raised in Minnesota, earned degrees in Japanese and graphic design from the University of Minnesota in 2014. Shortly after graduation, she began working as a designer and illustrator in Tokyo, Japan.
She constantly has access to great and beautiful food because she lives in Japan, and one day the idea to paint food came to her. Food and culture are closely related, so by depicting the meals she had when visiting Japan, she was able to learn about the local way of life, share it through her work, and boost her chances of traveling and trying new foods.
She enjoys painting in a very realistic and precise way, but her aim is for her work to look like art rather than a photograph. She employs a color scheme reminiscent of retro/vintage paintings with the intention of evoking nostalgia in viewers, even if they have never sampled the meal.
“World Food Day is a celebration of something we all love- Food! Food is something that brings people together. It crosses language and culture and is a wonderful way for different people from different walks of life to communicate. As a food illustrator, I am very lucky to be able to combine my passion for art and food together, and this day is very important to me!” says Kailene.
Shilpa Rajan
Shilpa Rajan is a Graphic designer-cum-artist from Kerala, she is currently based in Dubai. The artist loves to paint and mentions her painting as a source of immense joy and contentment. The artist says she enjoys every art medium. However, she predominantly works using acrylic paints. Photorealism is as mentioned by Shilpa, her area of interest.
As her art explores photorealism, Shilpa’s inspiration comes from anything that catches her attention out of the ordinary. Shilpa describes that everything around her has an artistic view to it, it’s all about noticing that and recreating it on the canvas.
Achievements mean different things to different people. According to Shilpa, her biggest achievement is being able to spread happiness and positivity through her art. I receive a lot of messages on Instagram from my followers who say that they get inspired to paint by seeing my artwork. Some of them recreate my work and share it with me. Such small instances make me happy as I’m able to make a positive difference in someone’s life.
“World Food Day is a celebration of something we all love- Food! Food is something that brings people together. It crosses language and culture and is a wonderful way for different people from different walks of life to communicate. As a food illustrator, I am very lucky to be able to combine my passion for art and food together, and this day is very important to me!” says Shilpa