“A Pound of Flesh” is a multidisciplinary body of work — a photo series paired with a suite of poems — that examines people-pleasing as a subtle act of self-erasure. What begins as small gestures of generosity can, over time, hollow you out. The series reflects on that moment when generosity turns heavy, when saying yes starts to feel like self-betrayal.

Each photograph draws from the symbolism of food and ritual. The cake, over-frosted and inviting, becomes a body something sweet, divided, and consumed. Surrounding it, the tablescape pairs soft pastels with savory textures to create tension: beauty with an undertone of unease. The baby-blue palette, inspired by Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, carries that surreal, too-perfect quality whimsical on the surface, but slightly off when you look closer.

Through these contrasts, the work examines how what’s meant to nourish can also devour. Yet within that discomfort, there’s still tenderness; intimacy, friendship, and the ongoing work of setting boundaries without losing softness.

Models: Lara Kaur, Taylor Smalls

Desserts: Joyce Lim

Jewelry: Studio Wyphys (Chelsea Calalay)