Emilie Kim

What Should We, What Should We Eat? series (2024)

22 x 38 x 23 in

White stoneware, underglaze, glaze, Egyptian paste, acrylic paint, disposable chopsticks, coffee stirrers, kitchen twine, wire, parchment paper, LED lights

“There’s a song my mom and I sing whenever we’re hungry. I’m not sure when we started, but I know my mom was the one who came up with it—a silly tune to hide the rumbling sounds from our stomachs. It’s in Korean,  with a simple, catchy melody that could stick in anyone’s head like a jingle. ‘무엇을, 무엇을’ — she’d start singing, leaving a long enough pause for me to join and sing the rest of the song with her – ‘먹을까요~’

It’s childish, but cute. It makes us laugh even when we’re tired, starving, or annoyed. If there’s anything my mom taught me best, it’s that a meal should always be eaten with a smile or else your food won’t taste right. So even now, when I’m stressed and alone, I find myself singing that tune. ‘What should we, what should we eat?’”