Act I

I sculpt the way I cook, weaving together aromas, textures, and diverse materials into my own recipe—the recipe of sculpture. What is the aim? To transport the viewer into another mental realm, like that single bite that carries you away.

The act of sculpting becomes a ritual, an apotropaic ceremony. With my two masters, Sumi San and Saad, we conjured our own rite, moistening the sand with sake and water. In this way, we honor the dead and banish the negative energies that cling to our bodies and materials. With our hands immersed in the damp sand, I traced the outline of a cactus—the venerated San Pedro, guardian of my family. Into the trench, I poured seven spices, and little by little the ritual of creating a TOTEM SHICHIMI unfolded. As Sumi San whispered softly in my ear, a ritual for abundant harvests emerged:

Pepper

Japanese pepper

Yuzu

Mandarin

Volcanic salt

Sesame

Ginger

At 600°, the metal began to melt. Slowly, we poured it into the trench, where the spices vanished beneath a shimmering liquid. Fire and smoke danced, giving rise to a symphony of scents. Cooking and sculpture intertwined, merging into a single act. From the sand, the aluminum totem emerged, its surface adorned with volcanic salt crystals—metallic cuisine, sculptural cuisine, cuisine born within the embrace of sand.