It should come as no surprise that eating a meal or just smelling food can stir feelings of joy, grief, gratitude, shame, pleasure, comfort, or disgust, as the experience of eating or sharing a meal are intertwined with histories of family, culture, and nostalgia that contains the most private and public moments of our lives. Examining our complex associations with food, Potluck returns to Hashimoto Contemporary Los Angeles for its fourth iteration, showcasing over forty artists who explore the connotations of a shared meal through painting, drawing, ceramic, textile, glass, and everything in between.

In their respective still-life works, Nicholas Bono Kennedy and Maggie Cowles underscore the importance of meal presentation, highlighting how non-edibles like cigarettes, flowers, a good book, or even Air Jordans are catalysts for meaningful conversations over a shared dinner. Thomas Martinez Pilnik takes the expression “comfort food” literally by fashioning a Green Giant can of heart palms into a plush, human-sized pillow; Eriko Kobayashi makes gummy bears out of soft glass, positioning a food representing her “American Dream” as both treacly and deadly if ingested. Casey Gray’s box of assorted donuts rendered in airbrush acrylic paint elevates the humble dessert as worthy of art historical commemoration; Emily Au’s ceramic Bacon Vessel wears a dewy glaze that accentuates its lard veins, potentially pushing a viewer into veganism. Together, the eclectic blend of food, styles, and people contribute to an atmosphere as dynamic as a potluck dinner.

Participating artists include Jess Ackerman, Sarah Allwine, Erin Armstrong, Emily Au, Meegan Barnes, Lou Benesch, Angela Burson, Maggie Cowles, Carlo D’Anselmi, Thomas Danthony, Madelynn De La Rosa, Annie Duncan, Jen Dwyer, Nic Dyer, Jillian Evelyn, Angela Fang Zirbes, Mar Figeroa, Liz Flores, Maya Fuji, Casey Gray, Sara Hagale, Hunter Harvey, David Heo, Mattie Hinkley, Seonna Hong, Loc Huynh, Kate Jenkins, Louise Jones, Nicholas Bono Kennedy, Katie Kimmel, Eriko Kobayashi, Taylor Lee, Tae Lee, Taylor Lee Nicholson, Emily Marchand, Thomas Martinez Pilnik, Michael McGregor, Carmen McNall, Simone Quiles, Elena Redmond, Jake Sheiner, Natalie Strait, Sara Suppan, Shannon Taylor, Alexis Trice, Adrian Kay Wong, and Cha Yuree.