Interview with Kristine Qiu: Culinary Artist & Photographer

Hi Kristine! Thank you for agreeing to be part of the Interview with a Creator feature. For our readers, we met through a previous sales job where we were on the same team. You are based in San Francisco. I’ve been inspired by your cooking and baking creations which you’ve posted on Instagram.

1. What inspires your culinary art designs? How long have you been practicing this creative talent? Do you have a store or offer catering? My daughter inspires me to continue making her cute foods. The pandemic coincided with when I started my daughter on solid foods by creating cute shapes . Eventually, I would love to cater to small kids events/ parties. Seeing kids’ happy expressions when they see the cute food makes me smile.

2. How has your upbringing or other places where you’ve live influenced your creative inspirations?

I grew up in the US, in a non-Asian community. My biggest influences are from my travels in Taiwan and Japan. I am inspired by all of the food creations from food artists from these countries.

3. Did you learn photography in classes? How did you learn your use of color and composition? Do you have other family members with artistic talents? I don’t perceive myself as having any artistic talent. My father-in-law is a photographer; over the years, I picked up a lot of tricks and composition from him and from being his photo model. I enjoy photography as a hobby and would love to take some formal lessons.

4. What other creative activities do you practice outside of the culinary arts? I love photography; I look at how others compose their subjects. My daughter is my muse now.

5. Do you have any other plans with your creative skills?

I plan to continue honing my skills to share what I do with other moms and kids.

—Written by Amanda L. Mottorn, © 2022, author of Finding Moksha: One Woman’s Path in Uncertain Times and Artist at Modern Moksha Designs & Publishing.