Chef’s Hands (Kiwi) - 90x60cm Oil on canvas £595
This is a series of work in celebration of chef expertise and knife skills, partly inspired by Denise’s experience with her chef husband and their years in the restaurant business, and Nicolas Freeling’s 1950s culinary classic The Kitchen and the Cook. His contention that 'my kitchen years are written on my hands,' is something that resonated with Denise.
“Even without cuts, a chef's hands are unmistakable. The finger tips are flattened and ironed by the touch of hot serving dishes and roasting trays. The side of the forefinger becomes corrugated by the peeler and the ball of the thumb a multitude of tiny cuts not quite deep enough to sever the tough skin”.
This is food prepartion without the fantasy or the frills – honest and real, using only the best raw ingredients and a determination to prepare them well, celebrating their form and their taste. And all achieved by working hands that are dedicated and shaped to that end. Turning this concept into a striking, statement artwork, with such bravura, is no mean feat.
