The Pizza Eaters

Pizza, as an informal and shareable food, represents accessibility and collective experience. It carries associations of family, friendship, and gathering. In this scene, guests are holding food, holding presence, and holding community.

This painting began with a simple question: who made this moment possible? Who dialed the number to order the pizza, picked it up, set the table, placed the napkins, and made sure everyone had their fill? Who noticed when someone needed another plate or when a child spilled a drink? These gestures are small and often invisible, yet they form the foundation of togetherness.

While this labor belongs to everyone, it is most often carried by women. The work of hosting, caring, organizing, and anticipating needs quietly shapes social spaces. In response to Maira Kauffman’s Women Holding Things, I wanted to acknowledge both what is seen and unseen: hands holding slices of pizza, and hands holding responsibility, attention, and care.