Terawat Teankaprasith on turning food into art

When Terawat Teankaprasith looks at objects, he doesn't just see the thing in front of him. Rather, he analyses its composition, consuming its hues, contours, and textures, and considers how he can paint it.

"I once saw a fried egg – the free-form white shape, the vibrant orange centre, and the way the glossy texture caught the light. I immediately saw how it would work as a painting," he explains. "Finding something extraordinary within the ordinary is what really makes the process enjoyable for me."

This is why you'll see ordinary items, especially food bits like dipping sauces, eggs and chocolate cake, throughout his portfolio. He paints the objects in front of him in his daily life, the things he eats, and the things we definitely want to eat.

Based in Bangkok, the artist began his journey with a deep-rooted love of drawing. This led to a career in the creative industry, split into two parts: painting and running his own design studio, Projectt.

When he's at the studio, he will tap into the methodological side of his brain, which involves "heavy thinking and navigating complex constraints". Meaning that he often likes to step away from this part of his process and take a break, and painting is a welcome pause for him. "I often have moments where I just stop thinking and start painting."

When he's got a pencil in hand, the process takes a spontaneous turn. Perhaps he will pluck out an image from online of an interesting subject, or he'll find inspiration in his morning coffee or a meal that he's about to indulge in. "Later, I refine the composition to align with my aesthetic preferences," he explains.

After he's mapped out the composition's baseline, Terawat will add his signature visual language – the gorgeous gradient in the background, the scrumptiously grainy textures, and the glowy hue. It's a very specific sparkle that makes the object look like it's been lit in a professional photo studio.

For example, in one piece, a boiled egg is propped up on a pair of chopsticks and placed in the centre frame, the egg's glossy, jelly-like surface gleaming with intricate specks of light. It looks so realistic that it's hard to imagine it wasn't taken fresh out of the boiling pot and caught by a camera flash.

"While I currently work digitally for its flexibility and speed, my focus remains on the fundamentals of light and form, allowing me to translate inspiration into art and the moment it strikes."

In The Acidless Orange, Terawat has replicated the Som-Cheng, which is a tangerine-like fruit primarily grown in Thailand. The fruit is cut into a quarter piece, the fleshy inside bright, fresh and sparkling – one look and your mouth starts to water.

"This was a study in colour theory," he says. "By reimagining the outer peel in a cool blue, I transformed the yellow segments into a glowing moon surrounded by star-like patterns, turning a common fruit into a celestial, dreamy landscape." In another, there's a sachet of BBQ dipping sauce, oozing in maroon red. "The work focuses on the graphic contrast between the industrial white packaging and the organic, high-gloss texture of the dripping sauce."

Another presents the humble chocolate cake, a comforting treat with a recipe that's hard to get quite right, though in this one it looks so moist that even Bruce Bogtrotter would fancy a bite.

"This was an exercise in hyper-palatable textures. I focused intently on the shimmery reflective quality of the fudge to evoke a visceral, sensory response from the viewer," he explains. "In my food drawings, I aim for a dual reaction – an appreciation for the visual harmony followed by a sensory craving. To me, a food illustration is successful when it goes beyond the visual and triggers a genuine memory of taste and texture."

Not only are Terawat's pieces exceptionally well-made, but they are also so detailed that it's hard not to try to lick your screen. And lucky for us, he's starting to bring his work into the physical realm through three-dimensional projects like window displays and product design. So maybe we'll get to eat the chocolate cake after all?