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An intimate story reflecting on Ukrainian and Odesan culture through the prism of food and family, that is intrinsically a self-portrait of someone wrecked by childhood traumas. Through a period spent in close quarters with her parents in Odesa, photography became a means for Alex to communicate and connect with her mum and dad during a difficult time in their lives. She took pictures day-to-day, at home and in the street markets, while also creating a utopian universe through her lens — where life is beautiful and her parents become their dream selves in front of the camera. Meat, Fish & Aubergine Caviar embraces the complexity of family dynamics through mutual experience and visceral revelations.

Alex’s mum Yevheniia shares three of her most infamously delicious recipes, in detail, and the book’s wire-bound format is inspired by community-made cookbooks that are meant to be shared amongst friends and neighbours.

Alex Blanco (b. 1988, Ukraine) currently lives in the Netherlands. She holds a Master’s degree in Film & Photographic Studies from Leiden University and completed a photography semester at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. Her passion lies in creating emotionally charged, cinematic images that resonate with her personal memories. Meat, Fish & Aubergine Caviar has won the 2023 Nobuyoshi Araki MA-g Awards for Photography, for Original Photography Series.