No house feels like a home without artwork adorning the walls. Whether it be eccentric art created by children at nursery or a collector’s edition print by a renowned artist, the effect of a beautifully framed piece of art in one’s home cannot be understated.
Perhaps the most forgotten room in any household when it comes to choosing artwork is the kitchen. Even the downstairs bathroom, for reasons unbeknown to us, seems to come higher up on the list of decorative urgency.
If we were to take guesses, it would be due to the fact that lavatorial activities tend to do well with distractions in the form of books, shampoo bottle labels and – of course – artwork. On the other hand, there’s often enough going on in the culinary heart of one’s home that photographs and prints aren’t given a second thought. We’re here to change that misguided notion.
Firstly, we must distinguish from a certain type of gastronomical artwork which tends to be used throughout school cafeterias and dentists’ offices. These are the hazy, close-up portraits of fruit and vegetables which at once encourage us to consume our five-a-day and demonstrate the importance of proper dental hygiene thanks to unbearably photoshopped pearly whites.
Similarly, it’s important not to go down the trendy city-based restaurant route. While the designers for up-and-coming food spots certainly have a brilliant eye, the artwork in your kitchen should be personal and cohesive with the rest of your home.
Instead, we’d recommend choosing from a selection of beautifully realised illustrations which look as though they’ve been plucked straight from the pages of an artisanal cookbook.
NYC-based artist Jiayue Li is known for her surrealist illustrations which often combine faces with food. If you’re looking for a print unique to your home, you can contact the artist via her website for commissions and print requests. The same goes for London-based illustrator Hannah Robison, whose esoteric, full-of-life sketches immediately evoke a love for gastronomy.
Keep scrolling for delicious food prints to sink your teeth into.
Wine Break Art Print by Sandra Poliakov
Budapest-based Poliakov is known for her highly unusual yet immediately complimentary colour schemes. We love the artist’s playful, nostalgic style – which comes out in full force in Wine Break. A surrealist picnic daydream, this piece would serve as brilliant snack inspiration in any kitchen.
Buy now £14.00, Fy!
Ramune Lemonade Poster
Inspired by South Asian soda graphics from the 60s and 70s, this eye-catching print is available in a variety of sizes to suit your wall space.
Buy now £28.81, Etsy
'Cheers' Happy Kitchen Art Print
Printed on luxurious museum-quality paper, this luminescent print is the perfect gift for hosts with the most.
Buy now £12.95, NOTHS
Colourful Pasta Guide
Delightfully feminine, this sketchy pasta guide deserves prime real estate on your kitchen wall. We recommend true pasta lovers go for the larger A2 offering.
Buy now £6.00, Etsy
Perfect Catch - Risograph Print
The tinned fish community may be small, but it is certainly passionate. Treat your fellow sardine lover to this fluorescent risograph by Edinburgh-based artist Rebecca Sheerin.
Buy now £9.00, Etsy
Joseph Mallord William Turner, Study of Fish: Two Tench, a Trout and a Perch
For dishy, historical fish, look no further than Turner’s rather unique Study of Fish. According to the Tate, Sir John Leicester of Tabley Hall once complained that Turner spent more time fishing than he did painting.
Buy now £30.00, Tate
Full English Breakfast Art Print Watercolour Poster
A delightful watercolour and pastel print depicting the nation’s favourite way to start the day, this piece of art would look fantastic placed above a breakfast bar.
Buy now £28.00, NOTHS
Extra Dirty Please Martini Art Print Poster
An ode to everyone’s favourite liquid supper, we simply adore this casually cool dirty martini print – which is available in multiple sizes via Etsy.
Buy now £2.99, Etsy
Elin PK Spaghetti Alle Vongole Unframed Print 50x70
Swedish illustrator and graphic designer Elin PK is known for her playful yet precise food and beverage prints. We recommend framing this delicious spaghetti alle vongole print in a primary hue to compliment the dopamine-boosting colourways.
Buy now £48.00, Liberty
Won Ton Spoon Print
Display your love for traditional soup dumplings with this graphic, retro-inspired print from a York-based small business which uses recycled paper.
Buy now £3.40, Etsy
Sir Cedric Morris The Eggs
This fantastic 1944 piece by Sir Cedric Morris was purchased by the cook Elizabeth David in 1953 and was subsequently used to accompany many of her writings and recipes. Now, you can purchase your very own print via the Tate Shop.
Buy now £30.00, Tate
Spaghetti is So Slippery, c.1958
Why go for the Warhol food-related print most of the population would recognise when you can purchase this obscure wonder? Spaghetti is, indeed, rather slippery.
Buy now £70.00, King & McGaw
Cheese cake Drawing Milica Vuković
Though Serbian artist Milica VukoviÄ’s ballpoint pen drawing conveys a message about the commodification of the culinary industry, whereby shop-bought food often looks more delicious than it tastes, these sumptuous bright red berries would make for fantastic kitchen décor.
Buy now £205.00, Saatchi Art
David Shrigley - if you don't like tomatoes poster
Spice up your or your friend’s living space with this funky print – If You Don’t Like Tomatoes (2020) by Artist David Shrigley. Generously sized at 60 x 80 cm and printed on 200g Munken Lynx Paper, this super high-quality piece could be just the statement you’ve been searching for. You know, as long as you like tomatoes.
Buy now £51.21, Etsy
Amyisla McCombie Wine And Cheese Unframed A3 Print
This joyful piece by London-based artist and illustrator Amylisa McCombie makes a great gift for the wine and cheese enthusiast in your life. Frame and hang wherever you prefer to prepare and enjoy your meals to bring some kitsch back into the kitchen.
Buy now £45.00, Liberty
