Characters of the popular Star Wars films have already appeared in many different forms. They are made as action figures, and featured on cups and cereal boxes. But now you can find the legendary Grand Master of the Jedi Order even in your salad. Mexican-German artist Klaus Enrique, who is based in New York, decided to pay homage to Yoda by creating a mask of him using kale, collard greens, Swiss chard and other vegetables. You have already made Darth Vader with spider and bugs. Why have you decided to create Yoda now?
A friend of mine pointed out that most of my fantasy pieces are villains, and challenged me to sculpt Yoda. I thought about the idea for a few months and decided to use leafy greens for him. The Force is supposed to come from Midi-chlorians, which as their name suggests should be green, and Yoda really is a quintessential little green man with pointy ears. But there is also a very old tradition that goes back more than 2,000 years of sculpting Green Men: composite figures that are half men, half vegetation. I wanted to play on that as well. To me it is a lighthearted way of creating an archetypal piece of Post-Contemporary art that references multiple art periods. Are you a huge Star Wars fan?
I am a huge Star Wars fan. I was born in 1975 and grew up with Star Wars as the coolest movies ever.
What materials did you used to create these Yodas?
I used kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, dandelion and bok choy, as well as blueberries and garlic for the eyes. Which strangely enough ended up looking like a cute Yoda/ Brussels Sprout….
How did you create this Jedi master?
I basically built the first young Yoda and then allowed it to decay, and grew mold on it to emphasize the decay.
What side are you on: jedis or siths?
Honestly, I prefer Darth Vader because he is such a bad ass. Yoda would be a distant second. As far as the other jedis or siths, I don’t really care for them very much.
-Daniel Casillas
May the force be with your salad
Klaus Enrique
