I don’t feel like writing about political issues or anything too serious tonight, and since I have skipped over Saturday Surprise this week and several other weeks in recent memory, I am doing Saturday Surprise on Sunday!
I found an interesting form of art tonight … food art. Italian artist Valeriano Fatica chose food as his medium. In his talented hands, watermelons, pumpkins, potatoes, carrots, avocados, cheese, truffles, and even tiny coffee beans turn into incredibly detailed sculptures that look just too good to eat. Bet you can’t guess what the one in the header image is?
According to Fatica’s bio on his website …
“I am Valeriano Fatica, I carve mostly fruit and vegetables, but I also carve cheese, clay and rock.
I was born the 20th of november 1988 in Oratino, where I actually live, in Molise, a small and almost unknow region of Italy. Since I was a child I used to draw, and I dreamt of becoming a mangaka. But after I started the Art High School I realised that I had a true passion for sculpures. In 2011 I started working in my family’s restaurant “La Roccia”, and at the same time I started carving watermelons for the bouffets, after seeing my brother’s old carvings. After an year and a half, on Dargen D’Amico’s advice, I opened my youtube channel Ortolano Production (now called Valeriano Fatica – Fruit Carver)and I started sharing my passion with all of you.”
And now, let’s look at a few of these amazing creations …
Pikachu made from avocado
Turtle carved from watermelon with a berry surprise under his shell!
Santa Claus from watermelon
And from watermelon … a rose!
Cheese man
Cheese woman
bunny wabbit from watermelon
Mount Rushmore from a 1.5 kg truffle!
Watermelon monkey
The Joker (from the Batman movie/series) carved from cheese
watermelon dragon
‘nother watermelon dragon
cheese dragon
banana dragon
Guy Fawkes carved from cheese
the head of Thanos, carved from a coffee bean … look how tiny!
Leonardo Da Vinci from a coffee bean
And here’s a very short video clip showing how he created Mount Rushmore out of a 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds) truffle (no, not the chocolate sort, the fungal sort).
Pretty cool, yes? I encourage you to take a look at his website for more about the man and his art! Meanwhile, have a happy Sunday!
Jill, I must be the only one who isn’t overawed. I just can’t bear to look at food being handled like a play thing. I also ‘play’ with food stuff but never would I consider creating such work (and I also could never be so patient and talented). It just doesn’t appeal to me. But having said that, he is certainly an incredible artist. Chapeau! That hare/bunny and all those coffee bean sculptures. AMAZING.
When I saw that black truffle creation, I literally winced – carve a truffle in that way – carving away several hundreds of $/£/€ for the sake of a piece of art?! I can’t get my head around to this.
There is however another Italian illustrator who ‘works’ with food stuff. His name is Diego Cusano and he draws the wittiest, funniest and most hilarious creatures involving pasta, bananas etc. Look him up: https://www.diegocusano.com/ and also see him on IG. I just can’t get enough of him – he even looks like a person having fun 🙂
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I hadn’t thought about the waste factor, as I was just amazed at the talent and patience it must take to create these works of art, but you certainly do have a point! I think the coffee beans actually impressed me the most, for I cannot imagine working with something that small! At any rate, I am sorry you didn’t enjoy this week’s Saturday Surprise, but perhaps next week will be better. I will definitely check out Diego Cusano … the name rings a bell … I wonder if I’ve written about him sometime in the past.
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These are so great, Jill. Such talent! Thanks for sharing. 🙂 — Suzanne
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My pleasure, Suzanne! I’m glad you liked them … so much talent! Mine would come out looking like a pile of mush if I tried it! Or Frankenstein!
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Wow! Amazing! Love the bunny! And Mt. Rushmore! I was thinking chocolate truffle at first and confused. LOL!
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They truly are amazing, aren’t they? But, they can’t possibly last long, especially the ones carved out of bananas and avocados, which turn black within about 30 minutes after being exposed to air. Still … they brought a smile to my face! Ha ha … I did the exact same, thinking of a chocolate truffle … but hey … it’s just barely past Valentine’s Day, so it’s only natural our minds would be on chocolate, yes? Hugs!
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i will never be able to open a banana again….sheesh. she is good though.
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I just wonder how long that one lasted, for you know how quickly air turns bananas black! Yes, he is very talented!
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Surely we have a fantastic fox in the header. Brilliant work. One heck of an artist. Thanks for sharing
Cwtch.
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FOX???? It’s a WOLF!!! Wolf wolf wolf wolf … 🐺 My spirit animal! How on earth could you possibly mistake me for a fox?
Yes, he is so talented … the only thing that made me sad is that they art only lasts a few hours, a day at most. The banana dragon likely only lasted 20 minutes before it turned black. Still … very talented artist!
Cwtch
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Well sorry, it looked like a fox from the angle I saw it. Anyway, nothing wrong with foxes, I like em. I have to start somewhere and it lets me be a little urban for a while before going full antisocial.
Cwtch
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Okay, okay! I life foxes just fine … I just thought you would recognize me … that’s all. But fine, start out as a fox until you sicken of the urban world, then you can join my pack and howl at the moon! 🌙
Cwtch
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Wow! He is amazing!!
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Isn’t he though? I wonder, though, how long the ones carved from bananas and avocados last, for you know how long those last once air hits them … a matter of minutes until they turn black!
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Maybe he coats it with lemon juice?
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Perhaps, but even that only buys a short bit of time. Could be he has some other preservative that he uses. Hmmmm … now I’m curious … I’ll see what I can find.
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I’m curious, too.
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Terrific work. Thanks for sharing her art.
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My pleasure! It made me smile, so I was hoping it would make you guys smile, too!
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I work as an event manager for a catering company, perception is everything and we strive to delight the eye. I’ve spent many an hour fashioning vegetables into optical illusions, but never have I carved a face into a block of cheese. Kudos to food art! Speaking of food – the other day I fancied a burger from McDonalds. I opened the Big Mac box, discovered the top bun of my burger had been chewed by a rat. Roughly a quarter of the bun was missing, scalloped divots indicated rodent chomps. Oh my! Drove back to McDonalds, politely showed manager the rat Mac. His response? “Sorry about that. Lots of rats here, we’re close to the train tracks.” I stopped short of asking why buns were left where rats can chew, how an employee could send out a burger missing a fifth of its top bun. Sigh.
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I have always heard that since you see the food before you taste it, it should be pleasing to the eye! I couldn’t eat any of these works of art, though … it would seem like destroying a thing of beauty.
OH NO!!! I cannot believe that he was so nonchalant about it! Have you considered calling the Health Department, or whatever agency is equivalent to that in Canada, to report them? I’m betting you won’t be patronizing that McDonald’s ever again! I hope he at least refunded you money?
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Happy Sunday, Jill! Thank you for sharing this information about wonderful art. I already admire Robbie Cheadle (https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/) for their art in baking (figurative representation of the actors of her books). This is a great addition! MIchael
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I’m glad you enjoyed it! I have heard the name Robbie Cheadle, but cannot recall where or why. Thank you for the link, though, for this looks like a fascinating site and I shall explore it further!
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Wow! Such a creative photos
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Very talented man! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
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