Urban Cuisine: A Fusion of Street Art and Culinary Innovation

Designer Ian Wallace Transforms Cooking into a Graffiti Art Experience

The inspiration for Urban Cuisine came from the vibrant, bustling world of street kitchens, where traditional recipes are passed down and perfected over generations. Wallace saw the potential for these spaces to become sites of creation, where the cook doesn't just give soul to the recipe, but also becomes a street artist. The design of the cooking spray can, reminiscent of a graffiti spray can, allows the cook to express their creativity as they prepare their dishes.

Urban Cuisine is more than just a kitchen tool; it's a language that seeks to evoke an emotional response. The moment the cook picks up the can, shakes it, and begins to spray oil in a pan, their emotions and creativity explode. The cook is no longer just a cook, but also a street artist, and the observer becomes an art spectator. This unique interaction between the cook, the observer, and the cooking process itself is what sets Urban Cuisine apart from other designs.

The design of Urban Cuisine is as innovative as its concept. The cylindrical body of the can is made from aluminum and steel sheets, with a matte finish that adds to its urban aesthetic. The can contains either oil or butter spray, allowing for versatility in cooking. The technical specifications of the design include a content of 400ml and a net weight of 6 oz (170g).

Urban Cuisine was a project that spanned from September 2017 to January 2018. The design was intended for use in countries with a strong street food culture. The challenge was to create a link between the art of graffiti and street food cuisine, combining creativity and urban art to create a new product. The result is a design that balances the saturation of colors and typography representative of graffiti with the creativity of cooking.

Urban Cuisine was awarded the Silver A' Packaging Design Award in 2018, a testament to its innovative design and creative concept. The A' Design Award is given to designs that demonstrate outstanding expertise and innovation, and Urban Cuisine certainly fits the bill. This design is not just about the product itself, but also about the emotional experience it provides, transforming the act of cooking into a form of urban art.