Gouache Food Paintings by Izzy: Reflecting on the Impact of Mass Food Production

Gouache painter Izzy (also known as Snflwrs) paints gouache scenes of food on the shelves of supermarkets and stores. These racks are often filled to the brim with everything from fresh produce, to packaged drinks, biscuits and snacks of all sorts. Each piece is highly detailed, encouraging viewers to stay for long periods of time to observe a single piece so that they could understand all the details. 

These pieces encourage contemplation on these mass produced food, everything from how they were produced, to how they are distributed and sold as world renowned brands. Izzy's pieces ask audiences to think about the impact of their consumption of mass agriculture and large multinational company food products such as Coca Cola and Mondelez. They beg audiences to think about all the resources needed to put these goods on their local supermarket shelves, especially how they have impacted workers, other consumers and the environment. This is why Izzy’s gouache paintings of mass produced food are relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Responsible Consumption and Production and Zero Hunger.

One of the most pressing issues in the packaged food industry today are the environmental waste they generate. One study, published on ScienceDirect, which followed the life-cycle of packaged ketchup, found that almost 30 percent of ketchup in a bottle were discarded because of poor packaging design that did not allow them to be fully emptied. Aside from that, plastic polypropylene ketchup bottles contributed up to 9 kg of CO2 per 3.8 kg of consumed ketchup, the same per capita average of consumption in Austria. In total, the global food loss and waste is estimated to be USD 1 trillion annually. This number will keep on growing over the years due to the increasingly international nature of food production, which means that food is increasingly being produced, processed and consumed in completely different parts of the world.

Izzy’s gouache paintings of mass-produced food shelves invite viewers to critically examine the global food system, from production to consumption. By meticulously portraying supermarket scenes filled with packaged goods, fresh produce, and world-renowned brands, Izzy encourages audiences to reflect on the environmental, social and economic consequences of mass food production. These pieces highlight issues such as food waste, resource inefficiency and the carbon footprint of packaging, reminding viewers of the pressing need for sustainable practices. Through her art, Izzy urges a collective reevaluation of how people consume and value food in a globalized world.

Find out more about the food gouache pieces and other initiatives by Izzy on her Instagram @sunflwrs97.