“Jen-Pei Cheng: A recipe is a treasure map to find home”

Cheng’s “A recipe is a treasure map to find home”, her first project in the US, is a participatory art project and exhibition exploring the intimate connection between food, memory, and migration.

Over the next month Cheng will invite guests (particularly, immigrants who have lived in LA for at least 5 years) for one-on-one interviews, to share the family recipes that hold deep personal and cultural significance. Through these stories, Cheng seeks to illuminate how culinary traditions act as vessels for identity, connection, and resilience across generations and geographies.

From June 16th – July 16th Cheng’s project takes the form of a community-based intervention, where participants are invited to recall a meaningful dish, its name in their native language, and how food has played a role in building community and belonging in Los Angeles. These contributions—memories, recipes, and reflections—will be documented and printed during the sessions, forming the foundation of the exhibition.

To sign up to be interviewed by Jen Pei Cheng please follow the link below. Interview slots are available from June 16 to July 16, every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  

Morning: 10-11 AM, Evening: 6-7 PM. 

https://forms.gle/ZwRaqCkann1SNzJY6

From July 24 – August 24, the collected stories will be transformed into a multimedia installation featuring food-inspired sculptural works and documentary photography. By reimagining recipes as sculptural forms, the artist draws attention to the material and symbolic power of food in shaping personal and collective narratives.