Salami Face,
Performative Digital Photographs, 2021

Salami face, (2021) is a photographic performative response to the othering of my Slavic diasporic identity. In this work, I construct a mask from cured meats, cheese, olives, pickled onions, and gherkins—ingredients found on the mezza plate that sits at the centre of every social gathering. The mask acts as both shield and statement, referencing how food becomes a marker of cultural identity and a witness to the ongoing performance of culture, race, and gender.

Australia’s multicultural framework is often likened to a charcuterie board, where each identity is displayed yet always defined by its difference. Food can bridge gaps between marginalised communities, but it can also underscore our sense of being “other.”

By wearing the mezza plate as a facemask, I claim ownership of my diasporic experience, using humour to address misunderstandings of broken English—as both a triumph and a failure to assimilate.

Digital/print assistance: Nick Greenwich
Camera Operations: Vanessa Henwood