Mable Ni is a Chinese-American artist based in Knoxville, Tennessee, making prints, ceramics, and communal food experiences about personal acts of care and facets of Asian identity. She was born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina and influenced by the memories of growing up in her family’s Chinese restaurant. Mable is passionate about preserving her family recipes through book making, collaborative printing, and creating community food events highlighting Chinese cuisine. Her most recent work was exhibited in SUSTENANCE: Interweaving Food & Identity at North Seattle College Art Gallery in Seattle, WA and Unapologetically Fuzhounese at Accent Sister Gallery in New York City, NY. She received a BFA from Converse University in 2024. Mable is currently pursuing a MFA with a concentration in Printmaking at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

I explore food as both a metaphor for love and means for mutual connection. This symbolization of food comes from my Chinese family where love is shown through shared meals and small gestures of snacks instead of verbal “I love yous.” Through printmaking, ceramics, and social engaged food events, I aim to speak across cultural boundaries, showcasing the joy that happens when we gather to feast together.

In my work, hands are often in the act of peeling, unwrapping, or serving, symbolizing both sustenance and affection. Hands become visual metaphors for connection, labor, and the passing down of tradition, representing generations of shared cooking practices. Printmaking and ceramics as a medium is reflective of the active making kitchen. Repetitive actions of chopping or stirring are embodied similarly to pulling a print or throwing a bowl.

Functional ceramics and multimedia installation serve as a connecting point to demonstrate the innate power of sharing a meal with loved ones or strangers. Through facilitated participatory art experiences, I am able to present my Chinese heritage in a digestible form that informs the content of my prints. Sharing a meal is a culturally universal act, and by representing food as a tool for connection, I aim to create a space full of warmth, understanding and belonging.