When life gives you coconuts, bananas, and Oreos… (2025)

When life gives you coconuts, bananas, and Oreos… (2025) unpack the racialised language of assimilation. Referencing the phrase “when life gives you lemons,” the work replaces “lemons” with derogatory terms such as “coconut,” “banana,” and “Oreo,” often used to describe people of colour perceived as white on the inside. Five friends and family members were invited to each contribute a cake using these ingredients, shifting these labels from insult to material and exploring what it means to rework or reclaim them.

Presented on plinths with textile runners printed with song lyrics, the cakes adopt the visual language of display before being served on opening night. This act transforms viewers into participants, turning consumption into a shared, embodied engagement with language and identity.

Many thanks to Cat Yen and their Oreo cake, Morris Tang and his coconut sago, Gustavo Brito and his coconut sponge with banana and coconut ganache and banana jam, Mikey Santos and his ube coconut cake, and Charlie Nguyen and her banana tart.