EAT BITTER
EAT BITTER 吃苦 “Endure pain to taste sweetness.” Eat Bitter is a collection of short stories told through childhood recipes that are not for the faint hearted. This zine is an ode to and celebration of the spirit of The Pang family and their Hakka heritage. A year long project, eating bitter and the idea of resilience and patience in dark times, has grown a sharper cultural significance in 2020. A project that began as quiet introspection has grown into a conversation around protecting and celebrating Chinese culture and cuisine. A portion of the profits are being donated to Welcome To Chinatown, an initiative that supports Chinese businesses affected due to increased xenophobia in the wake of Covid-19. This collaboration spanned time zones and generations. The imagery was created by two female, half Chinese creatives; Creative Director Lydia Pang and Photographer Louise Hagger. The stories, recipes and memories were written by Lydia Pang, with help from her father and grandparents. Pang said “The creative direction was born out of the Hakka spirit. Punk poster references echo the progressive and independent culture of Hakka ancestors, lucky Chinese red tones hero but with a purposeful nod into the blood red of meat. The imagery is visceral, textural and immediately grounds you in a sense of place and time, a feeling.” This work is deeply personal and aims to shine a light on a culture long ignored. Because it’s time for everyone to know what Hakka tastes like. Gem Fletcher said “In this moment of uprising, Lydia Pang’s response to crisis - is to create. As a quiet yet poignant act of resistance, Eat Bitter uses food, perhaps our most universal material, as a conduit for social change. Steeped in memory, tradition and life lessons, Pang hold’s space for her culture and community, emboldening the relationship between art and freedom.” “We are honored that Lydia has chosen to donate part of her proceeds to Welcome to Chinatown. This project resonates with deep reflection of identity and is a reminder to honor and preserve the history of those who come before us, which is core to Welcome to Chinatown’s mission too. We thank Lydia for her generosity to Welcome to Chinatown and for her creative heart that she’s sharing with the world through this project,” said Victoria Lee and Jennifer Tam, co-founders of Welcome to Chinatown. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEBSITE: Eatbitter.co SAMPLE PAGES: (Introduction, two stories, conclusion) * high res images (BTS, HERO, LAYOUTS, GIFS) all avail on request * Zine Pre Order: September 1st Zine + Print Launch: October 1st Contact: hello@lydiapang.com @lydia_pang_ hello@louisehagger.co.uk @louisehagger