Yaminee Patel’s debut solo show, “Rice, Roots, and the Road to Cultural Exploration” at Common Objects in Belltown is a full sensory experience. I was lucky to have visited the gallery on Friday morning before the opening. When I arrived, I was met with a perfume of rice smell — a warm embrace. I was immediately transported to my youth and the starchy comfort of sushi rice with vinegar and sugar — the anticipation of a family party. Before looking closely at Patel’s work I just smelled the air and wondered if it was basmati or jasmine — floral and citrusy. One scent transported me to college when I first fell in love with Indian food and the other to my seven year old birthday party. This show has already been a gift to my senses and reconnection to lost memories.
In talking with Patel that morning, she reflected on her own memories of growing up and the many women always gathering in the kitchen. She said, “luckily, there was always really good food available to me.” The business of the kitchen that she describes is reflected in her work, Together We Rice, 36”x24” which is made from rice, farro, lentils, mung beans, and buckwheat. Akin to 19th Century Pointillist work, Patel places each uncooked legume and rice of orange, brown, yellow and off white and adheres with glue to create the shape or line of her work. This particular illustration is an overhead view of multiple hands and arms with plates and food. The viewer can almost hear the clanking of plates and chatter of family and imagine hands moving rhythmically to serve and pass the food.
At the start of our conversation, we shared a moment of gratitude for connecting that morning before we got started. Somehow this small act seemed important in this moment when our world can feel so cruel and unkind. There in the gallery and in that moment, this small gesture was like a momentary balm to the world outside. The theme of gratitude is the primary theme of a series of smaller works grouped together titled, Thank You – Tiny But Mighty. Patel says on her website, “this series of pieces are thank you letters to the individuals and small businesses who have supported my artistic journey! I hope to utilize my art to uplift and support those who embark on one of the hardest and most daunting journeys of all — risking it all to chase their dreams of having a small business in the city of Seattle.”
At the center of this grouping is a hexagon piece titled Movement, 12”x12”, made with rice and mung beans and portrays a swirl of motion. This work in particular has a painterly quality that draws the viewer’s attention to its medium, not as paint but grain. There are 10 separate smaller pieces in square frames that surround the centerpiece. Audio recordings on the QR codes just below each work are thank you messages to the places and people and the community that have helped her along the way. In one recording Patel reflects on her artistic journey at Fishbowl Gallery and explains that it was one of the first places she showed her pieces and owes so much to the organization because she found community, artistic inspiration and encouragement.
Community is an overarching theme that runs through the exhibition. In the front room a series of stitched together rice bags titled 4 Billion that become a colorful tapestry of vibrant colors and patterns that hang from floor to ceiling. Yarn is used on the surface to illustrate grain stalks. In addition, Patel created a Rice Sari and Rice Overalls. These works were made from collecting donated rice sacks from friends and community members that Patel has gathered as part of her process. One particular company, Spice Wala which delivers 200 meals per week to those in need, helped Patel source rice bags for this piece. While Patel had never met the owners, this connection created a spark of community building. Patel states, “we are a very individualistic society, but we need to ask others for help so that they in turn can ask help from me one day. This show is a really good example of that. I have gotten so much help along the way to make this show happen.”
There are many noteworthy sculptures in the exhibition that are created solely from rice and glue. One of which is a sculpted hand holding rice and made from rice titled, The Hand that Feeds You, 12’x4.” Another work features a rice cooker made primarily from black rice and even the warm and cook sign is clearly visible. There is a grouping of smaller bowls made from rice that are also holding rice. There is an ironic edge to these pieces while also a sincerity and heart that is at the center of Patel’s work. “Growing up I would just make things that were silly but then I suppressed that as I got older. I studied to be an electrical engineer. In some of my classes, I would doodle in class. Eventually, the art found its way out. I want to have fun with what I make.”
In addition to seeing and smelling the artwork, Patel had pre-packaged take home Khichdi mix including rice, mung beans, turmeric, chili powder, and salt available for gallery visitors to try. Also, an interactive art making activity in the back area of the gallery allowed anyone to contribute to a communal art piece. Jars of rice and beans line a shelf alongside glue and a half completed artwork that reads, “I am my ancestors wildest dreams.” These multiple offerings of experiences with Patel’s concepts of community and connection allow for different entry points within the show.
Along the back wall, there is also a collaborative cookbook titled, Fuck Ice, Eat Rice edited by Huệ Helen Nguyễn and photographed by Sophia Calderón. The book includes art, poetry, and recipes. The prologue states: “The “Fuck ICE, Eat Rice” cookbook is a culmination of the labor of love passed down from the generations before us— and the radical imagination that has sprouted from its environment. The story of rice is also a story of migration. A story of resilience. Of hope. Of possibility. And believing that a single grain can feed a whole village.” Proceeds from the sale of the cookbook will go to Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
Patel states, “Traditionally the rice represents abundance, nourishment, and I think it is about resilience. One grain of rice isn’t much but when it is amassed, it is stronger. We are like rice, when we come together, we are stronger. This is a form of resilience. Support and community comes together because we come together.”
“Rice Roots and the Road to Cultural Exploration” is on view May 8-29, 2026 at Common Objects, 2601 1 Ave, Seattle, WA 98121.Look out for the following events related to the show: May 19 (6:30PM-9:00 PM), Community Rice Potluck. An invitation for neighbors to share stories and dishes. May 29 (5:00 PM -8:00 PM): Closing Reception & Open Mic hosted by Ashna Med. A final celebration of voices from the Seattle community. Bring your favorite food focus poetry and music.
Open gallery hours on Friday and Sunday from 11:00 PM – 6:00 PM or by appointment
