Instant noodles may be a symbol of a fast paced life, but for Lasalle fine arts grad Cynthia Dechany Suito, it is a medium for slowing down. In her work Knitting Noodles, she creates combines two contrasting ideas of time (instant noodles and the act of knitting) to curious and wonderful effect. Here, we find out more about her and her creative making process.
What inspired you to start knitting noodles?
I’ve been working with instant noodles as an art material since 2013. Instant noodle is consumed in almost every country in the world, and in my opinion, it defines how people love something that is instant and comforting regardless of its nutrition value. The idea of knitting started when I started to realize that instant noodles looks like threads and it was a natural reaction to start wanting to knit with it. By using instant noodles I am making the process of knitting slower than it should be. The purpose of this artwork is to slow down.
What is the process of knitting noodles like?
The process is actually quite simple you just need to boil, rinse, knit and dry. But to be able to do the basic knit with instant noodles took me months of failing and a year of trying different brands, different tools, and different methods.
What do you do when you are not knitting noodles? Do you have a day-job?
I recently graduated from Lasalle, most of the conceptual and technical process of knitting noodles was done during this study. I am currently a full-time practicing artist where I make many different artworks not just knitting instant noodles, these artworks are made for both my own portfolio and future exhibitions. I will be starting another job in a few months, art teaching, while still practicing my own art.
Where do you hope to see yourself in the next five years if you continue on this venture?
I will definitely try to still continue practicing art. I always try to push my artwork further and make it better, whether it is my instant noodle series or other series. But I find it nice to not know where I am going to be in 5 years or know having the picture clear in my head. It opens more possibilities.
You can see more of Cynthia’s work here.
