Parkia speciosa Hassk., or what we know as the pete plant, was chosen as my artwork unintentionally. While buying pete at the market for cooking and seeing its unique twisted shape, I felt compelled to capture its form, which in my visualization resembled the double helix shape of our DNA. During the creation of the artwork, I used reference photos that I took myself because the pete itself was already mixed with my anchovy chili paste that day.

There were no significant challenges during the creation process, except for the unusual size of the artwork because originally, this piece was not intended for exhibition but only as practice. Therefore, this “Double Helix” was painted on a half A3-sized scrap of Arches paper.

Pete itself has become a staple dish on the dining tables of most of our society. Although its relationship with some of us is a love-hate one, those who dislike it usually do so because of its smell. Sometimes, the price of pete even experiences inflation due to low harvests and high demand. When pete season arrives, this commodity can be easily found in vegetable stalls or markets.

Through this artwork, the message I want to convey is that botanical art is a down-to-earth art form that is close to us because its subjects are the flora that grow and even appear on our dining tables.