Cynthia Delaney Suwito has always appreciated instant noodles as a quick and tasty meal. Now she's turning them into a performance art piece.
The Singapore-based, Indonesian fine arts graduate is knitting noodles at a Singapore gallery, creating a long edible scarf as part of the Untapped Discovery exhibition of emerging artists.
The 23-year-old spends three to four hours every day boiling, cooling and then knitting the noodle threads, adding 20-30cm to the length of the piece daily.
"I was doing it because I wanted to contrast the idea of time - how I'm doing something very slow to something 'instant' like instant noodles. And by using this, I'm actually making the process of knitting slower than it should be. The purpose of it is actually to [make] people slow down and take a break in this 'instant' world."
It took Suwito a few months to learn to knit the noodles, which she finds calming - unless she sees a strand about to snap.
Cynthia Delaney Suwito's Knitting Noodles Source: Cynthia Delaney Suwito
She uses normal knitting needles, a small wooden box with holes to support one of the needles, a small hand-made comb, and a hairdryer to dry the noodles. She also has a preference when it comes to the brands she uses, as some are thicker and easier to use.
Fortunately, her work hasn't put her off eating instant noodles: "Currently my favourite is the Korean Nongshim spicy mushroom," she says.
