KITCHEN SAVIOR
Photos exhibited in the Southeast Museum of Photography in Daytona Beach, Florida
May 4, 2021 - July 31, 2021
Personal chef Sevarrest Allen’s creative process recognizes both cooking and food styling as an art form. Allen describes the process as being similar to creating a painting, stating that, “The plate becomes the canvas, and the food is the paint.” In documenting his passion driven process of preparing meals in client’s homes, I am drawing the viewer into the atmosphere built around Allen and each of his creations. My photographs illustrate his skill and creativity rendering meals while sharing Allen’s magnetic personality as he engages his clients through humor and storytelling. Allen’s talent for innovation in the kitchen is reflected in the absence of recipes and measuring instruments. He often arrives with no more than his knife set and a bag of simple and affordable ingredients. He moves quickly and elegantly in a relaxed manner that reveals his contagious joy for cooking which inspires his clients to reflect on their own food choices, bringing new originality into their kitchens.
Allen was raised in Palatka, Florida and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando in 2011. As a chef, he created a soul food menu for Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Convention Center in 2013. His notable client list includes Sir Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, and Michelle Obama’s Get Fit Initiative. He currently works locally to spend more time with his family.
My interest in this project is motivated by Allen’s love of cooking and the meticulous process of building unique menus for his clients, ranging from a casual family gathering to a large-scale event. These photographs were created to inspire the viewer to fully experience and appreciate Allen’s culinary artistry and his affectionate approach to the collective kitchen.
