STAPLE DESIGN AND DINE.

Tisha Cherry, occupational therapist and NY-NJ resident, has taken the "Culinary Arts" concept to new heights with the formation of her ongoing project aptly titled, "#ARTINTHEEATS." Tisha is known for her detail oriented food designs that mash up all the concepts that make up today's street culture. Drawing focus from graffiti, hip-hop, and the NY lifestyle Tisha has turned her art into a social commentary on the state of all things current and modern in our media driven society. Check out the interview with Tisha below and some shots of her interpretation of the Staple Pigeon using various food ingredients and condiments! - Introduce yourself - your name, social media handles, hometown, current location. I'm Tisha to most, Cherry to some. And the interwebs knows me as “TishaCherry”.  I was born in the UWS, raised in NJ and currently residing in West New York…(still New Jersey). - What started first - your love for food or love of art? My appreciation for food came to me early. I spent a lot of my childhood in my father’s restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen. I remember sitting and watching for hours in the kitchen how putting together and mixing seemingly disparate ingredients can create something entirely new, different and delicious. I always felt that preparing any meal was completely fascinating and magical. - Describe your creative background - design experience, culinary experience? None and none. I am really an amateur with a penchant for experimenting and making food look fun, cute, and appetizing. - What started the # “ARTINTHEEATS”? A lot of my inspiration comes from art in the streets, whether it be people, graffiti, culture, lifestyle, mannerisms, language etc -- The things you see and pass by everyday that we often don’t pay attention to. Art in the Eats derives from common, conventional, familiar ingredients and left over food that are usually disregarded. I take these abandoned condiments, sauces, and garnishes and I turn them into art. The hashtag is used for categorizing all of my culinary creations on Instagram, which has turned out to be an excellent platform to share my fun. - What is your favorite part of the design process? Brainstorming. The excitement of ideas and that “Eureka!” moment when everything in the design process falls behind it and speeds up. It’s the realization of having an idea or image in my head and being able to transfer it using the right ingredients. - What is your favorite medium to work with - most difficult medium to work with? My favorite medium would be ketchup from a ketchup packet, probably because my favorite snack is French fries. The texture is a little easier to manipulate. There’s typically enough ketchup in one packet to do a piece. The most difficult medium has probably been honey due to its consistency.  It takes a lot of effort to translate the idea or image into honey. - Is this strictly a home/studio project or do you find yourself free styling in local restaurants? I personally don’t like to play with my food in restaurants because I’d rather eat and enjoy the moment. Also it’s a courtesy thing, I never want to be rude to the restaurant. - What are some of your other interests besides designing with food? Outside my kitchen, I do enjoy traveling, vintage shopping, exploring the city, volunteering/fundraising. I’m also obsessed with trying out new restaurants, new recipes, and finding a reason to return to the grocery store everyday. Above all, my true passion is in occupational therapy. - Do you see a potential future in creative food design? I’m open to wherever this adventure could take me. I am just happy that it is fun and funny…and people seem to be enjoying it. - What can we expect from TISHA CHERRY in 2014 - any current projects you’re working on? Currently working on a website and possible video series. I am also looking forward to providing bespoke culinary creations to whoever is interested. Any collaborations would be fun! See more of Tisha Cherry's work on her Instagram page here.