Hamburger World is the title of this project, which also names a fictional diner I imagined as the conceptual framework for these art pieces. It includes several paintings and a series of portraits.
Employee of the Month is the title of the portraiture series depicting employees of this fictional diner, as employees photos are often publicly showcased in American fast food places to highlight their good work. The subjects of my series are immigrants from diverse cultural backgrounds, painted wearing both the diner's uniform and traditional headdresses representing their heritage. Each figure also bears a name tag featuring an Americanized version of their birth name. Through this work, I examine the cultural diversity of the U.S. working class and the ways in which individual identities are often erased or subsumed through the pressures of assimilation. The series invites reflection on how labor, nationality, and cultural heritage intersect in everyday life, and how personal histories are often muted within systems designed to homogenize.
Beyond the diner portraits, the other paintings in this project use the hamburger as a metaphor for American imperialism. By depicting this iconic food in a variety of global contexts, the works question the pervasive reach of U.S. cultural influence and the consequences of its spread: the erosion of local economies, the marginalization of traditional practices, and the displacement of deep-rooted cultural heritage.
Overall, Hamburger World functions as a critical inquiry into the global projection of American culture through seemingly innocuous symbols, exploring the tension between homogenizing forces and the resilience of local identity, while reflecting on the social and cultural costs of the United States’ imperialistic footprint.
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Employee of the Month (2017) 11” x 14” x 0.87 (ea) Acrylics over canvas (In order: Left to right, up to down.) January Sarnai Khan Khalkha, Mongolia February Jouro Wane Wodaabe, Nigeria March Haiwima Matzihua Wixarika, Nayarit, Mexico April Bougoubaly Djiguiba Dogon, Mali May Kanchok Yangjor Brok-pa or Minaro, India June Kearte Kilpeaine Sami, Finland July Conchita Méndez Palenque, Colombia August Arex Kapa Dobunaba Kalam, Papua New Guinea September Willy Covarie Le Sapeur, Democratic Republic of Congo October DongmeiJiang Changjiao Miao, China November Mahshid Ebrahimi Bandari Woman, Iran December Oloono Edorova Yakut, Russia |
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ハンバーガー / Hanbāgā (2018) |
60” x 48” x 1.5”
Acrylics over canvas
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Hamburguesa Criolla (2018) 36” x 36” x 1.5” Acrylics over canvas |
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هامبورجر / hamburjr (2018) 60” x 48” x 1.5” Acrylics over canvas |
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Irchy Ring (2018) Cockney slang for Burger King 48” x 48” x 1.5” Acrylics over canvas |
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Nni Adinma (2018) Unhappy Meal in Igbo language 48” x 48” x 1.5” Acrylics over canvas |