Food art is an innovative way to express love for food! Yasra Khoker’s love for food and art have found a mélange in Food Swings, an illustrated travel journal with exceptional food art, that covers a 10-day trip Khoker took to Hyderabad, Goa and Mumbai. Bookedforlife feasts on the delightful journal as we chat with Khoker about what went into making it…

The idea behind ‘Food Swings’

While traveling, we often come across new visuals and ideas (however small or insignificant they might seem) that could be strangely appealing. I always record my findings in a journal that I unfailingly carry. This later took the form of a published book ‘Food Swings’, available for others to buy. The book is a replica of my sketchbook. The pages haven’t been designed for publication. Nothing has been omitted from the original. So, everything you see in it is what I saw and thought of and of course, ate!

Focus on food…not recipes

I’ve always been very interested in food. When I say ‘food’, I don’t just mean the cooking or eating of it but other aspects too, especially visual. There are always stories and recollections around food and a lot of times, I believe it’s more fulfilling for me to paint an experience rather than put it in words. If you take a look at my work, you will probably be left with a happy feeling (at least that’s my intention). I try to create that through food stories or events that play in my mind while I paint. The idea is that food isn’t ‘just food’. It is FOOD. Apart from being a life essential, it nourishes our senses. Moreover, it adds richness to existence.

Food art as a paperback

The book is available as a paperback simply because a hardcover would cost more. Right now, the book is priced at Rupees 320. I haven’t set aside any margins for profit. The price covers my cost of printing and shipping. Publishing wasn’t planned so the target audience is just about anybody who shares my interest in food, art and travel. I didn’t think very much before doing this (or most things I do actually). So, I just went ahead after I received a number of requests for a copy of my journal.

The response

So far, the response has been great. My first batch of 50 books has sold out. In addition, I’ve ordered a second batch. I’ve received a lot of love through mails and messages from people who bought it and some who have seen my work online. People are fascinated by ‘food illustration’. It is something unheard of.

The process of creating food art

I sketch what I see while traveling. Depending on the amount of time I have at a particular location, I indulge myself in a leisurely drawing or a quick sketch with runny paints. I have almost always sketched during flights (the videos are available on my website and other social media), while waiting at airports or elsewhere. After all, it’s a nice way to distract yourself from the ‘waiting’!

Sometimes, I begin a sketch knowing well that I won’t have time to fill in details. So, I do whatever I can with a quick sketch and either leave it that way or modify it later if I can. The idea is not to produce a photograph or even a likeness, it is to translate something of visual interest on a flat surface so I am taken back to that memory later while flipping through the journal. Often there are imperfect lines and that’s alright. It’s not about perfection.

The medium

I use a lot of other media but while traveling, I find watercolours and ink easy to handle so I stick to these. That is for my convenience mainly. Art work that is commissioned privately, is sometimes on paper, canvas, tiles or even a wall. Depending on the surface, you can choose media that suits best. I’ve used gouache, pastels, oil paints, coloured pencils, markers and so on many-a-times.

Illustrations versus photographs

Photography is a great media. Cameras and mobile phones are great tools to record a journey, an event or just about anything. Illustration is a different kind of visual expression and I can’t compare the two because while retaining a few similarities, they are very different in essence. One can’t be better than the other, I guess it’s about interest and convenience. You might come across an image of food that captures much more than its form. The same goes for an illustration. Your skill and manipulation of the medium matter.

With these thoughts, we leave you to enjoy food art in book form. Food Swings is a book that takes food art to an entirely different level! Now that we’ve got a taste, we just can’t wait for the next helping!

In order to buy Food Swings or look at Yasra Khoker’s work, visit https://doodlenomics.com/buy-food-swings/