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The Fish Head at the Family Table
Through this familiar setting, I question why family affection is expressed through unequal portions, even when everyone could have enough.
At family dinners, my grandpa waits until my sister and I have eaten the tender belly before eating the fish head. When I asked why, he said he enjoyed fish heads. We are accustomed to interpreting this as selflessness. But when we can afford a second fish, does putting oneself last become a ritual of love rather than a necessity?
Making
I made two clay plates and two bowls, transferring impressions of a yellow croaker onto their surfaces before firing. The head appears on one bowl and one plate; the belly and tail appear on the others, reflecting the portions each family member is expected to eat.
I arranged them around a braised fish, pairing the head prints with long wooden chopsticks and the others with children’s chopsticks.
Documentation
The question
Through this familiar setting, I question why family affection is expressed through unequal portions, even when everyone could have enough.