The F* Words: Food, Fermentation, and Feminism is a visual exploration of fermentation as both a biological process and a symbolic framework. Inspired by the transformative nature of fermentation, this project uses reduction woodcuts and mold cultivation on paper to challenge traditional ideas of purity, boundaries, and preservation, particularly through a feminist and queer lens.

Fermentation, often perceived as messy or unhygienic, becomes a powerful act of resistance against Western ideologies that champion order, cleanliness, and containment. Drawing on feminist and queer theory, as well as the work of fermentation activist Sandor Katz, this project subverts the conventional notions of health and purity embedded within colonial and patriarchal narratives. Through my experiments with microbial growth and reduction woodcut, I engage with fermentation as both a material and metaphorical process, reflecting on how societal boundaries around gender, race, and identity are continuously dissolved and reformed.

In the studio, my reduction woodcuts mirror the fermentation process—layered, irreversible, and open to natural unpredictability. By intentionally growing mold on my prints, I invite transformation directly onto the artwork, merging organic decay with visual creation. This act embraces the non-linear, collaborative potential of microbial life, recognizing the intimate relationship between our bodies, our environment, and the communities we shape.

Through The F Words*, I seek to dismantle rigid boundaries and invite viewers to consider the beauty in change, decay, and collaboration. This project underscores that just as fermentation reshapes food, embracing imperfection and transformation can reshape our understanding of art, identity, and connection.