Title of the Work of Art:

The Still Life with the Weekly Ration

Genre:
Still Life
Period-Movement:
Contemporary Photorealism/Photo-based Art
Date of Creation:
2016
Technique:
Painting
Materials:
Original digital artwork
Dimensions:
Not Stated


Artwork Description:
The Still Life with the Weekly Ration depicts the food the artist tended to consume each week, as his digestive health grew weak. Chiao switched to a vegetarian diet and daily exercise to prevent his death from the consequences of digestive complications. This personal transformation is emblematic of a broader engagement in his art with themes of sustenance, vulnerability, and the ethics of consumption. By foregrounding the value of animals and plants—traditionally regarded as mere food—the painting invites viewers to reconsider their own relationships with nourishment and mortality. In this sense, Chiao’s dietary shift not only signifies a private response to bodily fragility but also aligns his practice with larger questions about the interconnectedness of life, survival, and the reverence for all forms of existence. The colors here are silver-white with multi-colored accents of fruits and vegetables.