By pouring resin into unopened packages and encapsulating the contents, I created specimens that allow the reality of these foods to be observed.

By preserving the packaging as-is, the work brings forward the internal structure and the functional qualities suggested by texture and form. Observing familiar foods from a new angle invites a renewed awareness of the opacity surrounding what we eat—often hidden in plain sight.

Convenience-store cup noodles and ready-to-eat packaged foods are undeniably handy. At the same time, their very ease can shorten the distance between “opening” and “consuming,” making it easy for our attention to slip past what is inside.

One day, I opened a package and ate without really looking, only to realize I had finished it—and then reached for another. That smooth, almost automatic feeling of consumption left a lingering sense of unease, which became the starting point for Secret Crystals.

As a foundation for the work, I looked to ingredient labels: the lists of materials and food additives are vast and varied, and often include terms whose actual substance is difficult to grasp even when we read them. Even in labeling, the same material or additive may appear under different names—such as margarine being described as vegetable oils or fat spreads—adding another layer of complexity.

Through this work, I hope viewers can sense a fragment of that unease, and reconsider the subtle “unreadability” embedded in everyday food.