I Eat Therefore I am

I Eat Therefore I am is a project by second year fine art student Janelle Villahermosa.

"In the chamber of your stomach, my body is a grain of white rice that stews in its nonexistence."
 
This project is an archive of events in which I attempt to morph into a grain of white rice.
 
Through these events, I attempt to explore how food affirms identity while simultaneously questioning authenticity. From the food we eat, to the spaces in which they were cultivated, and the journeys they take to be consumed by us, I undergo metamorphosis to question consumption and its impact on self-affirmation.

I have chosen locations that provoke discussion surrounding the movement of commodities and the state in which we consume them. 

Artist

Janelle Villahermosa

More information

I Eat Therefore I am is one of a number of level 2 student exhibitions and projects taking place across Leeds this April and May as part of pitch: Fine Art Festival of Art 2026. 

See the full programme of projects and exhibitions.

pitch: Fine Art Festival of Art 2026 is also part of Situation Leeds Festival, happening across May and June 2026, celebrating contemporary art in the public realm. Situation Leeds is supported by Yorkshire Visual Arts Network and Hyde Park Book Club.

Image

Janelle Villahermosa, I Eat Therefore I am: A Hard Grain to Swallow, Folkestone Harbour, 2026. Photo by Janica Villahermosa.