Who is Elizabeth Willing?
I am a visual artist based in Brisbane, and although I have lived and worked many other places, I devotedly return to Brisbane as my home. My works are performative and often participatory explorations of food and hosting. I have been working as an artist for 15 years, during which time I have also been teaching art.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
I would keep a tidier desk. Other than that, absolutely nothing.
Who inspires you and why?
I am inspired by chefs and restauranters, especially those who can make a meal into a complete experience, immersive, with immaculate hosting. Beautiful food is one of my weaknesses. I am also inspired by great communicators, people who can translate complex things in an elegant and logical way.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Make food better. This means something different for everyone. For me it means – make people think about food and eating, really philosophically contemplate it and its impact on ourselves and the wider community.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Anywhere in Europe with palaces and churches, I love the excess and embellishment.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
I am a huge fan of a bushwalk, somewhere out of town where you can wander and feel the busyness of the bush, not the city. Natural landscapes differ dramatically from place to place, it is nice to get a portrait of a place through the colours and textures of the local environment.
What are you currently reading?
The Hidden World: How Insects Sustain Life on Earth Today and Will Shape Our Lives Tomorrow by George McGavin. It is about insects and it is fascinating. It is rich in details and obscure facts which makes me realise I know nothing.
What are you currently listening to?
I am not someone who curates what they listen to, I am happy to have silence or someone else’s playlist, as long as I don’t have to choose. Sometimes I listen to stand-up comedy while I work, Sheng Wang is my current go-to.
Happiness is?
Doing craft with my daughter, submitting before deadline, drinking tea, lying in the hot sand at the beach, watching stand-up-comedy, icing a cake, testing new ideas in the studio, perfecting a written sentence, buying new black pens, talking about art with my husband, gardening.
What does the future hold for you?
Artmaking. Hopefully exciting collaborations and new spaces to work in. Ambitious work, the kind of projects that scare me a little bit. And one day I will take a holiday, something that has nothing to do with work.
Elizabeth’s large-scale installation, Kitchen Studio, presented by Metro Arts as part of the 2024 Brisbane Festival: 30 August – 26 October, will encourage guests to form new perspectives on the modern diet. For more information, visit: www.metroarts.com.au for details.
Image: Elizabeth Willing – photo by Chris Howlett